Written with Sift Green, this first part is all by him.
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'No mater how...
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'No mater how...
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[RWBY] The Great Temporal Step-Sibling War!
- Thread starter AndrewJTalon
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Not So Normal Day at the Office
AndrewJTalon
Experienced.
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- Apr 24, 2015
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Written with Sift Green, this first part is all by him.
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'No mater how long you live, life will still find ways to surprise you,' Ozpin reflected as he took a deliberately slow sip from his coffee mug, keeping his eyes locked on the young man sitting across from his desk. Said young man was more child than teen, barely old enough to be starting Signal Academy. He had been caught snooping around Beacon's offices, trying to break into the records room. The secret records room only five people on campus were supposed to know about. Glynda caught him of course, and she brought the young man straight to the headmaster's office once she uncovered a few irregularities with the boy's identification.
A library card, a student ID from Signal, and a medical information card were all spread out on Ozpin's desk. All of them said the boy's name was Moses Nebogipfel, and the boy responded to the name too reflexively for it to be fake. All three of them either had an accurate picture of the boy or an accurate physical description, which lended credence to the idea that the cards were as real as they looked. Yet the cards were impossible.
All three cards agreed that the boy's birthday was Victory Day... five years from now. The cards claimed the boy's mother was a Dr. Weena Nebogipfel, a woman both Ozpin and Glynda knew personally, so while the boy did bear some resemblance to the theoretical physicist the idea that he was her secret child was absurd.
When confronted with these facts the boy had immediately cracked; "My semblance is Time Travel!" That confession had lead to a series of tests that convinced Ozpin that the boy could indeed jump forward and backwards in time. Glynda wasn't quite as convinced, but she could wait the twelve hours it would take to prove time travel was the way the boy had gotten a duplicate of the headmaster's staff. Still lingering doubts or no it was the right place to continue the interrogation.
"Now tell me Moses," Ozpin began as he placed his mug down, "Why did you come to this place and time?"
"It was an accident sir I swear!" Moses pleaded.
"Accident's happen," Ozpin allowed, "Just take a few deep breaths and start from the beginning. You're not in trouble with me, and the more I know the more I can help."
"Okay," Moses breathed, "Okay. So time travel's funny right? The reason I was poking around your records room is cause I was looking for a way to supercharge my semblance. Give myself enough juice to jump back to my own present. I usually only have enough juice to jump back and forward a few minutes at a time, but sometimes I have enough in the tank to jump back and forward a few weeks. There doesn't seem to be a rhyme or reason to how much juice I have in the tank, so I was with my friends and we were experimenting, trying to figure out its' hard limits you know? Well someone asked If I could bring someone with me on my time jumps, and I didn't know the answer. So my best friend volunteers and..."
Moses trails off as if he's at a loss for words. Ozpin remains silent, hoping to let the boy gather his thoughts. Glynda is less patient.
"So you brought your best friend here too?" She asks as she continues to bore a hole in the back of Moses' head with her glare.
"Yes," Moses answers in a distracted tone, a frown of deep thought growing on his face.
"Then could you tell me what they're up to and what they look like so they can join us in this discussion?" Glynda presses.
"My best friend is Jaune Arc's oldest kid," Moses explained. The dismissive part of Ozpin's mind wanted to chalk up that undescriptive description as an effort to protect his friend, but the way Moses said it made Ozpin dismiss that dismissal. Something odd was happening here. "Jaune Arc's second oldest inherited his Aura Amp, only they can shoot in in a beam, and they zapped us with it as I tried to jump. They're a prankster who get's a lot of dumb ideas you see."
Ozpin wasn't sure what Aura Amp was, but given the context he could guess it was Mr. Arc's semblance, and from the name it probably supercharged people's Auras. A useful bit of knowledge Ozpin could use to help his student once this time travel mess was sorted out. Ozpin put that musing aside as Moses continued.
"Anyways the brat zaps the two of us... the three of us?" Moses' thoughtful frown grew deeper. "Me and them makes two... no three. No more than three cause twins. No more than two cause there's only one of them."
"Excuse me?" Glynda asked.
"My memories are all jumbled up," Moses whined. "This is like a week before Jaune started dating his wife, and we're here now and things are changing..."
Alarm filled Ozpin's mind with that statement. "Are you saying," Ozpin inquired in a calm tone that hid his concern, "that your presence here changes who Mr. Arc marries, and you're remembering a different friend than the one you brought here?"
"Kinda," Moses began to rub his temples.
"Elaborate Mr. Nebogipfel," Glynda's tone didn't hide the alarm she was feeling, and apparently that was enough to set the young man off.
"I BROUGHT ALL OF THEM HERE! OKAY!" Moses snapped, "Every possible version of Jaune Arc's firstborn is here! And each and every one of them has some harebrained scheme to make sure Jaune marries their mom! I need to find a way to supercharge my semblance and grab them before they do something crazy!"
A deep BOOM reverberated in the distance, followed a few seconds later by the gonging sound of something hitting the office's window. Ozpin slowly turned his chair around, and was treated to the sight of a boy who looked like a younger version of Jaune Arc with Ruby Rose's hair color and silver eyes. The silver eyed boy was pressed up against the glass and slowly sliding down it as if this was a humous moment in an animated feature instead of real life. Then the silver eye boy pushed off the window and dove through the air back the way he had came.
A moment passed, and Ozpin grabbed his coffee mug while standing up. He took three nonplussed strides to his window and gazed out upon the scene of bedlam taking place in the courtyard.
Pyrrha Nikos was fighting back to back with a redheaded boy who had Jaune's eyes; their opponents Blake Belladonna, a handful of female exchange students Ozpin couldn't quite recognize at this distance, and kids who were probably the children of the exchange students. A pair of blonde cat Faunus, obviously male and female fraternal twins, were running around with a hogtied Yang Xiao Long slung over their shoulders while being chased by a girl who could only be Yang's daughter, the sliver eye boy, and a distraught Ruby Rose. A boy who looked a lot like a Schnee was yelling at Weiss, who stood as still as a statue with a look of disturbed incomprehension on her face. A girl who Ozpin believed was Emerald Sustrai was holding a child in a fireman's cary while running as if their lives depended on it; and if the way her team leader Cinder Fall was chasing her while screaming things like "Traitor!" and "Ungrateful Harlot!" loud enough that Ozpin could sort of hear them in his office was any indication, they very well could be.
Nora Valkyrie stood off to the side cheering the chaos on, occasionally firing a grenade into the scrum when it looked like Pyrrha and her probably son were getting overwhelmed. Jaune Arc stood beside Nora clearly at a loss as to what he should be doing. Lie Ren had placed a comforting right hand on his team leader's shoulder, and was facepalming with the left.
Ozpin took a long sip from his coffee mug, a quick glance to his left and right confirming that Moses and Glynda had joined him at the window. He then drawled; "Well, the good news is that doing something crazy didn't collapse the space-time continuum. Mr. Nebogipfel, if you'd follow me to the nurse's office, it looks like you've developed a bit of a migraine."
"Yeah, I have actually." Moses admitted as he rubbed his temples, shifting memories and friends being unbelievably stupid could do that.
"Alright then," Ozpin stepped away from the window, "Ms. Goodwitch, I believe you have a riot to suppress."
"With prejudice sir," Glynda agreed as she brandished her riding crop.
The time: Several hours before Glynda Goodwitch catches Moses Nebogipfel snooping around Beacon's records rooms.
The place: A camping ground on the edge of Beacon's campus, a dinning hall specifically.
"Our best bet is to trust Moses,"A redheaded boy named Xander declared with all the authority he could muster. "He finds a way to recharge his semblance, he takes us back to the future, and none of us have to worry about which one of us is from the real timeline because we didn't change anything!"
That was the plan Moses had given them before he ran off, and as far as Xander was concerned it was a good enough plan to stick to. Sure there was a degree of uncertainty that he'd still be around to see it finished, but he wasn't going to risk the stability of the space-time continuum to alleviate his own fears. If he was the true son of Jaune Arc destiny would see things though, and if he wasn't it would't. There were times and places where one should defy fate, and this wasn't one of them.
Unfortunately most of his paradox half siblings didn't see things that way, and it was taking all of Xander's knowledge and experience with wrangling his own younger siblings to keep everyone from running off to do who knows what to history. This experience was somewhat dulled by the fact that everyone else here was also an older sibling who knew all the same tricks, but at least he had backup in from the most forceful personality in the room; a girl named Dorothy who also agreed that Moses' plan was the best plan.
"The butterfly effect is something nobody should be messing around with," Dorothy affirmed. "If Moses had mastered his semblance then maybe we'd be able to take some risks, but we all know he hasn't, so we shouldn't."
The round robin meeting they were holding was a compromise all the half siblings had agreed to in order to avoid a fight. Even those who were unhappy with Moses' plan knew that trying to break off to do their own thing would just get them dogpiled by everyone else who's existence was also at risk. And so as long as everyone stayed here until Moses got back a terse detente could be maintained.
"Um..." a silver eyed boy raised his hand.
"Yes Julian?" Xander called for the boy to speak.
"Where are the Faunus twins?"
The dining hall erupted into a cacophony of motion, and pandemonium reigned.
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"You okay Leandra?" A blond cat faunus boy asked as a girl who looked a lot like him dry heaved. The two of them stood atop a skyscraper in downtown Vale, and the boy seriously hoped the girl wasn't about to dump her breakfast on an unsuspecting pedestrian below.
"Ugh, I'll be fine Leander," Leandra groaned as she returned to standing straight. "Why is it whenever we travel with your semblance I get a tummy ache, but when we travel with mine you're always fine? We have the same semblance! You should get a tummy ache too!"
"It's a mystery for the ages," Leander agreed as he pulled his twin sister away from the roof's edge, "But we can't dwell on that now. We need to plan. What do we know about how mom and dad got together?"
"Umm... Mom was seriously considering asking Uncle Sun out, but decided to ask dad out instead after she introduced Aunt Ilia to Sun and she saw how well they got along?" Was what Leandra pulled from her memory.
"That sounds right," Leander nodded, "So the first thing we need to do is find Aunt Ilia and get her to Beacon."
"Okay, that's step one, let's go!" Leandra rushed to the legs of the Skyscraper's water-tower, her brother only a few steps behind her. The water-tower's legs were only a few inches wide, not nearly big enough for someone to disappear behind them, yet disappear is exactly what the twins did.
The wind blew over an empty roof.
--------------------
"Now we're going to find them, and we are going to do that as a team!" Xander declared after order had been restored to the dinning hall. "We are going to move as a group, and we are going to keep a close eye on one another-"
"The other twins slipped away during the ruckus" A Schnee looking boy interjected.
The tension in the air spiked, and Xander felt what little control he had over the group slipping from his fingers. He needed a dragon of a threat to keep everyone in line, but his go to threat wouldn't work in this situation. He needed to think of something else fast. Unfortunately Dorothy was faster, and her threat was the reflexive one Xander was trying to avoid.
"EVERYONE STAY WHERE YOU ARE OR I'M TELLING MOM!" Dorothy bellowed.
At that moment Xander knew the situation was unsalvageable. The whole problem was that everyone here had a different mom, meaning the prospect of getting mom involved was less of a threat and more like something that sounded like-
"That's a good idea!" Julian grinned with genuine glee right before he dashed out of the room before anyone else could react.
That was when the damn broke, and within a few seconds Xander found himself alone with Dorothy as the other kids stampeded away.
Silence hung in the air for a few moments, and then Xander sighed as the tension left his shoulders. "Well, are you going to get your mom?" He asked Dorothy.
"Oh Gods," the girl replied with the air of someone who just had the most horrific realization of their life, "I can't go get my mom to help out on this!"
"Alright, look," Xander grabbed her shoulders and looked Dorothy in the eye, "My mom can probably beat the breaks of of their moms, so I'm going to get her and try to regain some control over this situation. If you can't get your mom then you can at least get out their and catch some of the slower ones, right?"
"Right," Dorothy agreed as confidence returned to her eyes. She charged from the room, Xander following close behind.
--------------------
A few moments after they were gone the other twins pulled themselves out from under the desk they had hidden behind. The two of them had messy black hair and eyes perfect for sitting in a corner and brooding.
"You want to get mom Ash?" The female twin asked her brother.
"Nah, mom was a doomsday device short of being a supervillain at this point in her life. It'd be counterproductive," Ash replied. "What do you think we should do Ashley?"
"Hmmm..." Ashley cupped her chin in deep thought, then after a whole minute she gave her answer; "We should find the armory. Get some heavier ordnance than what everyone else is packing right now. Then we put Mom's competition in the hospital long enough for Mom and Dad to notice each other."
"That's a pretty dark plan."
"This is literally an 'us or them' scenario Ash. We don't have time for paragon behavior."
"Fine, but when this bites us in the ass you're the one explaining this to Dad, capeesh?"
--------------------
'No mater how long you live, life will still find ways to surprise you,' Ozpin reflected as he took a deliberately slow sip from his coffee mug, keeping his eyes locked on the young man sitting across from his desk. Said young man was more child than teen, barely old enough to be starting Signal Academy. He had been caught snooping around Beacon's offices, trying to break into the records room. The secret records room only five people on campus were supposed to know about. Glynda caught him of course, and she brought the young man straight to the headmaster's office once she uncovered a few irregularities with the boy's identification.
A library card, a student ID from Signal, and a medical information card were all spread out on Ozpin's desk. All of them said the boy's name was Moses Nebogipfel, and the boy responded to the name too reflexively for it to be fake. All three of them either had an accurate picture of the boy or an accurate physical description, which lended credence to the idea that the cards were as real as they looked. Yet the cards were impossible.
All three cards agreed that the boy's birthday was Victory Day... five years from now. The cards claimed the boy's mother was a Dr. Weena Nebogipfel, a woman both Ozpin and Glynda knew personally, so while the boy did bear some resemblance to the theoretical physicist the idea that he was her secret child was absurd.
When confronted with these facts the boy had immediately cracked; "My semblance is Time Travel!" That confession had lead to a series of tests that convinced Ozpin that the boy could indeed jump forward and backwards in time. Glynda wasn't quite as convinced, but she could wait the twelve hours it would take to prove time travel was the way the boy had gotten a duplicate of the headmaster's staff. Still lingering doubts or no it was the right place to continue the interrogation.
"Now tell me Moses," Ozpin began as he placed his mug down, "Why did you come to this place and time?"
"It was an accident sir I swear!" Moses pleaded.
"Accident's happen," Ozpin allowed, "Just take a few deep breaths and start from the beginning. You're not in trouble with me, and the more I know the more I can help."
"Okay," Moses breathed, "Okay. So time travel's funny right? The reason I was poking around your records room is cause I was looking for a way to supercharge my semblance. Give myself enough juice to jump back to my own present. I usually only have enough juice to jump back and forward a few minutes at a time, but sometimes I have enough in the tank to jump back and forward a few weeks. There doesn't seem to be a rhyme or reason to how much juice I have in the tank, so I was with my friends and we were experimenting, trying to figure out its' hard limits you know? Well someone asked If I could bring someone with me on my time jumps, and I didn't know the answer. So my best friend volunteers and..."
Moses trails off as if he's at a loss for words. Ozpin remains silent, hoping to let the boy gather his thoughts. Glynda is less patient.
"So you brought your best friend here too?" She asks as she continues to bore a hole in the back of Moses' head with her glare.
"Yes," Moses answers in a distracted tone, a frown of deep thought growing on his face.
"Then could you tell me what they're up to and what they look like so they can join us in this discussion?" Glynda presses.
"My best friend is Jaune Arc's oldest kid," Moses explained. The dismissive part of Ozpin's mind wanted to chalk up that undescriptive description as an effort to protect his friend, but the way Moses said it made Ozpin dismiss that dismissal. Something odd was happening here. "Jaune Arc's second oldest inherited his Aura Amp, only they can shoot in in a beam, and they zapped us with it as I tried to jump. They're a prankster who get's a lot of dumb ideas you see."
Ozpin wasn't sure what Aura Amp was, but given the context he could guess it was Mr. Arc's semblance, and from the name it probably supercharged people's Auras. A useful bit of knowledge Ozpin could use to help his student once this time travel mess was sorted out. Ozpin put that musing aside as Moses continued.
"Anyways the brat zaps the two of us... the three of us?" Moses' thoughtful frown grew deeper. "Me and them makes two... no three. No more than three cause twins. No more than two cause there's only one of them."
"Excuse me?" Glynda asked.
"My memories are all jumbled up," Moses whined. "This is like a week before Jaune started dating his wife, and we're here now and things are changing..."
Alarm filled Ozpin's mind with that statement. "Are you saying," Ozpin inquired in a calm tone that hid his concern, "that your presence here changes who Mr. Arc marries, and you're remembering a different friend than the one you brought here?"
"Kinda," Moses began to rub his temples.
"Elaborate Mr. Nebogipfel," Glynda's tone didn't hide the alarm she was feeling, and apparently that was enough to set the young man off.
"I BROUGHT ALL OF THEM HERE! OKAY!" Moses snapped, "Every possible version of Jaune Arc's firstborn is here! And each and every one of them has some harebrained scheme to make sure Jaune marries their mom! I need to find a way to supercharge my semblance and grab them before they do something crazy!"
A deep BOOM reverberated in the distance, followed a few seconds later by the gonging sound of something hitting the office's window. Ozpin slowly turned his chair around, and was treated to the sight of a boy who looked like a younger version of Jaune Arc with Ruby Rose's hair color and silver eyes. The silver eyed boy was pressed up against the glass and slowly sliding down it as if this was a humous moment in an animated feature instead of real life. Then the silver eye boy pushed off the window and dove through the air back the way he had came.
A moment passed, and Ozpin grabbed his coffee mug while standing up. He took three nonplussed strides to his window and gazed out upon the scene of bedlam taking place in the courtyard.
Pyrrha Nikos was fighting back to back with a redheaded boy who had Jaune's eyes; their opponents Blake Belladonna, a handful of female exchange students Ozpin couldn't quite recognize at this distance, and kids who were probably the children of the exchange students. A pair of blonde cat Faunus, obviously male and female fraternal twins, were running around with a hogtied Yang Xiao Long slung over their shoulders while being chased by a girl who could only be Yang's daughter, the sliver eye boy, and a distraught Ruby Rose. A boy who looked a lot like a Schnee was yelling at Weiss, who stood as still as a statue with a look of disturbed incomprehension on her face. A girl who Ozpin believed was Emerald Sustrai was holding a child in a fireman's cary while running as if their lives depended on it; and if the way her team leader Cinder Fall was chasing her while screaming things like "Traitor!" and "Ungrateful Harlot!" loud enough that Ozpin could sort of hear them in his office was any indication, they very well could be.
Nora Valkyrie stood off to the side cheering the chaos on, occasionally firing a grenade into the scrum when it looked like Pyrrha and her probably son were getting overwhelmed. Jaune Arc stood beside Nora clearly at a loss as to what he should be doing. Lie Ren had placed a comforting right hand on his team leader's shoulder, and was facepalming with the left.
Ozpin took a long sip from his coffee mug, a quick glance to his left and right confirming that Moses and Glynda had joined him at the window. He then drawled; "Well, the good news is that doing something crazy didn't collapse the space-time continuum. Mr. Nebogipfel, if you'd follow me to the nurse's office, it looks like you've developed a bit of a migraine."
"Yeah, I have actually." Moses admitted as he rubbed his temples, shifting memories and friends being unbelievably stupid could do that.
"Alright then," Ozpin stepped away from the window, "Ms. Goodwitch, I believe you have a riot to suppress."
"With prejudice sir," Glynda agreed as she brandished her riding crop.
The time: Several hours before Glynda Goodwitch catches Moses Nebogipfel snooping around Beacon's records rooms.
The place: A camping ground on the edge of Beacon's campus, a dinning hall specifically.
"Our best bet is to trust Moses,"A redheaded boy named Xander declared with all the authority he could muster. "He finds a way to recharge his semblance, he takes us back to the future, and none of us have to worry about which one of us is from the real timeline because we didn't change anything!"
That was the plan Moses had given them before he ran off, and as far as Xander was concerned it was a good enough plan to stick to. Sure there was a degree of uncertainty that he'd still be around to see it finished, but he wasn't going to risk the stability of the space-time continuum to alleviate his own fears. If he was the true son of Jaune Arc destiny would see things though, and if he wasn't it would't. There were times and places where one should defy fate, and this wasn't one of them.
Unfortunately most of his paradox half siblings didn't see things that way, and it was taking all of Xander's knowledge and experience with wrangling his own younger siblings to keep everyone from running off to do who knows what to history. This experience was somewhat dulled by the fact that everyone else here was also an older sibling who knew all the same tricks, but at least he had backup in from the most forceful personality in the room; a girl named Dorothy who also agreed that Moses' plan was the best plan.
"The butterfly effect is something nobody should be messing around with," Dorothy affirmed. "If Moses had mastered his semblance then maybe we'd be able to take some risks, but we all know he hasn't, so we shouldn't."
The round robin meeting they were holding was a compromise all the half siblings had agreed to in order to avoid a fight. Even those who were unhappy with Moses' plan knew that trying to break off to do their own thing would just get them dogpiled by everyone else who's existence was also at risk. And so as long as everyone stayed here until Moses got back a terse detente could be maintained.
"Um..." a silver eyed boy raised his hand.
"Yes Julian?" Xander called for the boy to speak.
"Where are the Faunus twins?"
The dining hall erupted into a cacophony of motion, and pandemonium reigned.
--------------------
"You okay Leandra?" A blond cat faunus boy asked as a girl who looked a lot like him dry heaved. The two of them stood atop a skyscraper in downtown Vale, and the boy seriously hoped the girl wasn't about to dump her breakfast on an unsuspecting pedestrian below.
"Ugh, I'll be fine Leander," Leandra groaned as she returned to standing straight. "Why is it whenever we travel with your semblance I get a tummy ache, but when we travel with mine you're always fine? We have the same semblance! You should get a tummy ache too!"
"It's a mystery for the ages," Leander agreed as he pulled his twin sister away from the roof's edge, "But we can't dwell on that now. We need to plan. What do we know about how mom and dad got together?"
"Umm... Mom was seriously considering asking Uncle Sun out, but decided to ask dad out instead after she introduced Aunt Ilia to Sun and she saw how well they got along?" Was what Leandra pulled from her memory.
"That sounds right," Leander nodded, "So the first thing we need to do is find Aunt Ilia and get her to Beacon."
"Okay, that's step one, let's go!" Leandra rushed to the legs of the Skyscraper's water-tower, her brother only a few steps behind her. The water-tower's legs were only a few inches wide, not nearly big enough for someone to disappear behind them, yet disappear is exactly what the twins did.
The wind blew over an empty roof.
--------------------
"Now we're going to find them, and we are going to do that as a team!" Xander declared after order had been restored to the dinning hall. "We are going to move as a group, and we are going to keep a close eye on one another-"
"The other twins slipped away during the ruckus" A Schnee looking boy interjected.
The tension in the air spiked, and Xander felt what little control he had over the group slipping from his fingers. He needed a dragon of a threat to keep everyone in line, but his go to threat wouldn't work in this situation. He needed to think of something else fast. Unfortunately Dorothy was faster, and her threat was the reflexive one Xander was trying to avoid.
"EVERYONE STAY WHERE YOU ARE OR I'M TELLING MOM!" Dorothy bellowed.
At that moment Xander knew the situation was unsalvageable. The whole problem was that everyone here had a different mom, meaning the prospect of getting mom involved was less of a threat and more like something that sounded like-
"That's a good idea!" Julian grinned with genuine glee right before he dashed out of the room before anyone else could react.
That was when the damn broke, and within a few seconds Xander found himself alone with Dorothy as the other kids stampeded away.
Silence hung in the air for a few moments, and then Xander sighed as the tension left his shoulders. "Well, are you going to get your mom?" He asked Dorothy.
"Oh Gods," the girl replied with the air of someone who just had the most horrific realization of their life, "I can't go get my mom to help out on this!"
"Alright, look," Xander grabbed her shoulders and looked Dorothy in the eye, "My mom can probably beat the breaks of of their moms, so I'm going to get her and try to regain some control over this situation. If you can't get your mom then you can at least get out their and catch some of the slower ones, right?"
"Right," Dorothy agreed as confidence returned to her eyes. She charged from the room, Xander following close behind.
--------------------
A few moments after they were gone the other twins pulled themselves out from under the desk they had hidden behind. The two of them had messy black hair and eyes perfect for sitting in a corner and brooding.
"You want to get mom Ash?" The female twin asked her brother.
"Nah, mom was a doomsday device short of being a supervillain at this point in her life. It'd be counterproductive," Ash replied. "What do you think we should do Ashley?"
"Hmmm..." Ashley cupped her chin in deep thought, then after a whole minute she gave her answer; "We should find the armory. Get some heavier ordnance than what everyone else is packing right now. Then we put Mom's competition in the hospital long enough for Mom and Dad to notice each other."
"That's a pretty dark plan."
"This is literally an 'us or them' scenario Ash. We don't have time for paragon behavior."
"Fine, but when this bites us in the ass you're the one explaining this to Dad, capeesh?"
Last edited:
Ruby and Julian
AndrewJTalon
Experienced.
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@Sift Green
Julian Arc waited and waited... Until he found the perfect moment to ambush his past version of his mother: When she was in the kitchen making cookies.
He had to use stealth. Subtlety. Grace.
"HI MOM!"
"GYAH!"
Okay, maybe teleporting right behind her while she was putting cookies into the oven wasn't the best choice. She swung around as the uncooked cookies all went flying and she dropped the baking sheet onto the floor. Julian gaped in horror, and fell to his knees at the carnage he had wrought.
"NO! NO! WHAT HAVE I DONE? NOT THE COOKIES!"
His mother gaped at him. He bowed his head.
"I'm sorry Mom! I was stupid! Please, forgive me!" He cried.
"Ummm... It's okay?" His mother said, reaching out to pat him on the shoulder and head. "Why are you calling me Mom?"
Julian looked up with a bright smile. His mother had told him his smile was his best asset!
"Oh! It's like that really old comic, X-Ray and Vav, issue 198, when-"
"Their future kids come back in time to help them?!" His mom gasped. Julian nodded eagerly as he beheld the light of comprehension in her silver eyes.
"YES! Exactly!" Julian cried. He got up and hugged his much shorter mom. Well actually she wasn't much taller in his time, but she was a lot cuter! Which was... Weird? Kind of? Still, she hugged back just the same.
"So, uh... If you're my son-"
"Julian! Like Summer! Cause July!" Julian replied. Ruby's eyes widened further.
"That... That's such a good name! But uh... Anyway, if you're my son, who's your dad?"
Julian grinned broadly.
"Jaune Arc, of course!"
His mother blushed brightly.
"W-W-W-W-Wait?! Jaune!? I-I-I marry him?!"
"What? This is the day of your first date!" Julian insisted. "You've gotta make sure you go on it, or I won't exist! Or my ten siblings!"
"TEN?!" Ruby gasped, before she began hyperventilating.
"Ohhh... Maybe I shouldn't have said that," Julian groaned. "But seriously Mom, please? Go on a date with Dad!"
"B-B-B-But-I, I'm too young! I-I'm not as pretty-I'm not as-Anything-!!" Ruby tried, stuttering while red. Julian shook his head furiously and tightened his hug.
"Mom... Trust me. He... He loves you! Or-Or he fell in love with you! You were his best friend! I know, I know... He will love you."
"... Really?" Ruby asked softly. Julian nodded happily.
"You totally will! And uh... I mean... I hate to rush you, but I'm kind of on the clock here."
"Eh? Why?" Ruby asked.
Julian sighed.
"I think it's... Get Back to the Present rules. See, I went back in time with my best friend, Moses, thanks to his time travel semblance? But apparently, when we showed up... There were like, a dozen other people claiming to be Jaune Arc's firstborn!"
"Oh geez," Ruby gasped, "Like multiverse theory?"
"I don't know," Julian shrugged, "But I do know if you don't date Dad... Then I-I cease to exist. And my siblings."
There it was. That fact. It just... It landed so hard on his heart. He bowed his head.
"My whole family... I-I don't..."
He pulled out his Scroll. He displayed the picture of his family during their last vacation, up in the mountains. His mom and dad held each other, grinning brightly. Both in their winter armor, Dad with his beard, Mom with her longer hair. There he was, with his siblings all together, all holding one another in the cold but still smiling.
The prospect of losing all that... Of never being born...
"You and Dad... You have always been there for me," he said, "You... You two are so amazing. When I'm with you, I've-I've never felt scared, or worried. Because you were there. I..."
He looked back down at the picture, unable to meet her eyes. He then felt her small hand squeeze his. He looked over into her silver eyes. She was younger, softer, with fewer lines on her face... But that kind, warm smile was the same.
"I won't lose you, Julian," she said softly, "You won't lose me... Y-You won't lose us. I-I promise."
Julian smiled brightly. He pulled her into a hug, and she returned it. The weight on his heart dropped away.
"So," Ruby said, pulling back, "We just need to get to Jaune first!"
"Right!" Julian said cheerfully.
Ruby pulled open her Scroll.
"I'll just call him and... And..."
She frowned.
"Eh?! Why won't it work?!"
"Huh?" Julian asked.
Ruby scowled.
"The network is down?! How is it down?!"
- - -
Elsewhere, Theodore Schnee, son of Jaune Arc and Winter Schnee, finished the last touches to the Beacon network.
"And... There," he said with a nod, "Now to find Mother!"
- - -
"It might be one of the others," Julian said, "My Scroll's network access is down, too."
"Well!" Ruby said cheerfully, "We'll just have to find Jaune ourselves!"
"Yeah," Julian said with a nod, "But uh... What about the other kids? Pyrrha's son is pretty, uh... I mean-"
Ruby's Silver Eyes glowed, even as she smiled. It was something Julian had seen rarely, but only when his mother was either very mad, very determined, or both.
"Don't you worry about that, Julian. Mama's got this!"
How do you feel relief and terror at the same time? Julian thought. He still hadn't figured that out about his mom.
Hopefully, he'd still have the chance.
- - -
Julian Arc waited and waited... Until he found the perfect moment to ambush his past version of his mother: When she was in the kitchen making cookies.
He had to use stealth. Subtlety. Grace.
"HI MOM!"
"GYAH!"
Okay, maybe teleporting right behind her while she was putting cookies into the oven wasn't the best choice. She swung around as the uncooked cookies all went flying and she dropped the baking sheet onto the floor. Julian gaped in horror, and fell to his knees at the carnage he had wrought.
"NO! NO! WHAT HAVE I DONE? NOT THE COOKIES!"
His mother gaped at him. He bowed his head.
"I'm sorry Mom! I was stupid! Please, forgive me!" He cried.
"Ummm... It's okay?" His mother said, reaching out to pat him on the shoulder and head. "Why are you calling me Mom?"
Julian looked up with a bright smile. His mother had told him his smile was his best asset!
"Oh! It's like that really old comic, X-Ray and Vav, issue 198, when-"
"Their future kids come back in time to help them?!" His mom gasped. Julian nodded eagerly as he beheld the light of comprehension in her silver eyes.
"YES! Exactly!" Julian cried. He got up and hugged his much shorter mom. Well actually she wasn't much taller in his time, but she was a lot cuter! Which was... Weird? Kind of? Still, she hugged back just the same.
"So, uh... If you're my son-"
"Julian! Like Summer! Cause July!" Julian replied. Ruby's eyes widened further.
"That... That's such a good name! But uh... Anyway, if you're my son, who's your dad?"
Julian grinned broadly.
"Jaune Arc, of course!"
His mother blushed brightly.
"W-W-W-W-Wait?! Jaune!? I-I-I marry him?!"
"What? This is the day of your first date!" Julian insisted. "You've gotta make sure you go on it, or I won't exist! Or my ten siblings!"
"TEN?!" Ruby gasped, before she began hyperventilating.
"Ohhh... Maybe I shouldn't have said that," Julian groaned. "But seriously Mom, please? Go on a date with Dad!"
"B-B-B-But-I, I'm too young! I-I'm not as pretty-I'm not as-Anything-!!" Ruby tried, stuttering while red. Julian shook his head furiously and tightened his hug.
"Mom... Trust me. He... He loves you! Or-Or he fell in love with you! You were his best friend! I know, I know... He will love you."
"... Really?" Ruby asked softly. Julian nodded happily.
"You totally will! And uh... I mean... I hate to rush you, but I'm kind of on the clock here."
"Eh? Why?" Ruby asked.
Julian sighed.
"I think it's... Get Back to the Present rules. See, I went back in time with my best friend, Moses, thanks to his time travel semblance? But apparently, when we showed up... There were like, a dozen other people claiming to be Jaune Arc's firstborn!"
"Oh geez," Ruby gasped, "Like multiverse theory?"
"I don't know," Julian shrugged, "But I do know if you don't date Dad... Then I-I cease to exist. And my siblings."
There it was. That fact. It just... It landed so hard on his heart. He bowed his head.
"My whole family... I-I don't..."
He pulled out his Scroll. He displayed the picture of his family during their last vacation, up in the mountains. His mom and dad held each other, grinning brightly. Both in their winter armor, Dad with his beard, Mom with her longer hair. There he was, with his siblings all together, all holding one another in the cold but still smiling.
The prospect of losing all that... Of never being born...
"You and Dad... You have always been there for me," he said, "You... You two are so amazing. When I'm with you, I've-I've never felt scared, or worried. Because you were there. I..."
He looked back down at the picture, unable to meet her eyes. He then felt her small hand squeeze his. He looked over into her silver eyes. She was younger, softer, with fewer lines on her face... But that kind, warm smile was the same.
"I won't lose you, Julian," she said softly, "You won't lose me... Y-You won't lose us. I-I promise."
Julian smiled brightly. He pulled her into a hug, and she returned it. The weight on his heart dropped away.
"So," Ruby said, pulling back, "We just need to get to Jaune first!"
"Right!" Julian said cheerfully.
Ruby pulled open her Scroll.
"I'll just call him and... And..."
She frowned.
"Eh?! Why won't it work?!"
"Huh?" Julian asked.
Ruby scowled.
"The network is down?! How is it down?!"
- - -
Elsewhere, Theodore Schnee, son of Jaune Arc and Winter Schnee, finished the last touches to the Beacon network.
"And... There," he said with a nod, "Now to find Mother!"
- - -
"It might be one of the others," Julian said, "My Scroll's network access is down, too."
"Well!" Ruby said cheerfully, "We'll just have to find Jaune ourselves!"
"Yeah," Julian said with a nod, "But uh... What about the other kids? Pyrrha's son is pretty, uh... I mean-"
Ruby's Silver Eyes glowed, even as she smiled. It was something Julian had seen rarely, but only when his mother was either very mad, very determined, or both.
"Don't you worry about that, Julian. Mama's got this!"
How do you feel relief and terror at the same time? Julian thought. He still hadn't figured that out about his mom.
Hopefully, he'd still have the chance.
- - -
Last edited:
Blake, Leander, and Leandra
AndrewJTalon
Experienced.
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- Apr 24, 2015
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- 89,779
Written by Sift Green.
- - - - - -
"This is a great spot," Sun grinned as he flicked his fishing pole and sent his line out into the river. On his left was a bucket and a cooler filled with drinks and fish he had already caught. To his right Blake was sprawled out on the wooden planks of the dock soaking in the sunlight, her head propped up by a pillow and a new book in her hands. It was a perfect place to spend an day with a friend... or maybe more than a friend.
"Yep," Blake found herself agreeing with Sun's assessment: the sound of the river flowing past, the cool breeze contrasting with the warmth of the midday sun, the fish eagerly biting every hook sent into the water promising an epic cookout later. It was the perfect place to relax with a good book and enjoy the quite company of a friend... or maybe more than a friend.
And that was a line of thought Blake was hesitant to entertain considering the train-wreck that was her last relationship. Yet Sun's charm was completely different from the dark charisma of Adam Torus, there was a gentle and supportive warmth in the monkey faunus' nature the older bull faunus had lacked. Blake could tell that if she let down her defenses she could be quite happy settling down with Sun.
That was a terrifying notion, and the part of Blake that agitated for a better world rebelled against it. Could she really let herself become content and happy when there was so much that needed doing? And so the last lines of her defenses remained up and rigorously patrolled by the revolutionary's spirit. The book helped.
The book wasn't part of her standard fair of romance and intrigue; it was a science fiction anthology recommended to her by Ruby. The book had a unifying theme that could honestly have edged it into the horror category: time travel gone wrong.
In one story a man built a time machine only for the machine to get stuck between moments like an elevator stuck between floors, leaving the time traveler stuck between the tick and the tock for all eternity. In another a serial killer travel to the past and framed his younger self for a murder, setting the younger version of the man on the path that would make him a serial killer. The third story which she was currently working her way through involved a young man constantly dodging killer robots sent from the future for reasons that were unclear, but Blake could feel the reveal fast approaching.
As Blake turned the page a solid THUD shook the dock, and she looked up to see a peculiar sight. A large wooden luggage trunk was now on the dock resting between the two young faunus who had obviously carried the thing to where it now sat. How the two kids had gotten the thing on the dock without her or Sun noticing was another mystery, and the way the two of them were gasping for air made it clear they shouldn't have been that quiet.
"You kids alright?" Sun asked as he pulled the most recently caught fish off his hook. One of the kids held up a finger, a near universal sign to wait a moment. Sun put away his fishing pole and Blake placed her bookmark and tucked her book away in her purse. The two of them stood and they got a real good look at the kids as they finally caught their breaths.
The kids were both cat faunus with blond hair and perky feline ears. Even though one was a boy and the other a girl they bore such a close resemblance to one another that there was no question if they were related or not. They appeared to be really close in age, twins maybe? They also looked unsettlingly familiar to Blake. Were they related somehow?
The kids caught their breath at the same time, looked up with the same motion, locked eyes with Blake in the same instant, mirrored smiles broke out across their faces and they cried out with the same voice as they shot forward: "MOM!"
What. Thought Blake. "Wha-ooof," said Blake as the kids collided with her and wrapped her up in a bone-creaking hug.
"Uhhh... who are you two?" Sun asked the question Blake could not.
"I'm Leander," the young boy answered.
"I'm Leandra," the girl continued.
"Why did you call me mom?" Blake found herself asking in a tone that fully conveyed her bewilderment.
"Cause you're our mom," Leander explained as he took a step back.
"Our friend Moses has a time traveling semblance!" Leandra explained as she hugged tighter.
And in that moment Blake believed them. Seeing the two of them up close made several features unique to the Belladonna family stick out, though those features were somewhat diluted thanks to the influence of their father's genes. Blake squinted at them trying to find the features they got from their other parent, their hair was a particular shade of blonde that reminded her of Sun's hair, and as she squinted at their noses-
"I'm not your dad, am I?" Sun questioned, interrupting Blake's train of thought.
"Nope," Leandra chirped.
"Yeah you're not our Dad Uncle Sun," Leander confirmed.
What. Thought Blake. "What," said Blake.
"Yeah you started dating Dad after you saw that Uncle Sun and Aunt Ilia were made for each other," Leandra explained as she finally broke her hug.
"That's half of why we're here," Leander continued for his sister as he moved back to the large wooden luggage trunk. "We need to introduce Aunt Ilia to Uncle Sun!"
Leander popped the trunk open, and Leandra reached in and hoisted someone who had been trapped inside into a sitting position. She was definitely wearing Ilia Amitola's White Fang uniform and mask accompanied by a gag in her mouth, and she was making several angry sounds confirming to Blake that she was indeed Ilia Amitola. Ilia was tied up with several interesting knots Blake remembered reading about in several interesting books and seeing them on a friend was making Blake feel very uncomfortable.
"What." Said Sun.
Brothers of Light and Darkness my kids are crazy! Thought Blake.
"Why did you kidnap her!" Was what managed to come out of Blake's mouth.
"This is an emergency situation! We didn't have enough time to do anything else!" Was the excuse Leandra started.
"We aren't the only people who traveled back in time!" Leander continued for his sister. "A whole gaggle of time travelers arrived here today that are trying to change the past by having Dad marry someone else! If they succeed history could be changed forever!"
Blake had a whole book in her purse about why messing with history was a very bad idea. The revolutionary's spirit within her stood up and took notice. The weight of the world was falling upon her shoulders in this moment, and she'd be damned if she buckled under that weight and failed to rise to the occasion.
"Where's your Dad and who's your Dad?" Blake found herself asking as she pulled her weapons from her purse.
"Our Dad's Juane Arc," Leander provided, "and you'd probably have a better idea of where to find him than we do."
"Yeah, we spent way too much time looking for Aunt Ilia," Leandra agreed.
"Well then we don't have time to waste, follow me!" Blake called out to her kids as she took off in a dead sprint, a sprint that was quickly matched by the twins.
- - - - - -
And that was how Sun Wukong found himself standing on a dock with a bound and gagged stranger.
"Uhhh... So that just happened," Sun began.
Ilia made a grunting noise that might have been agreement. Sun frowned as he walked up to her and removed her White Fang mask, tossing the bone-white identity concealer into the water. He was met with the beautiful face of a very ticked off girl.
"You're really part of the White Fang, right?" Sun asked.
Ilia growled a response Sun had a much easier time interpreting now that he could see her eyes.
"Cool cool, If I untie you will you hurt me?"
Ilia snarled.
"Alright so untying you is a bad idea," Sun muttered.
Ilia's eyes widened as she realized her mistake.
"And I can't just leave you here," Sun mused to himself. After a moment to think he addressed Ilia directly, "Alright, I'm going to carry you to the nurse's office. If anyone asks we'll say I found you like this, which is technically true, and I'm taking you to the nurse because I don't know how to untie these knots. Sound good? Good."
With that Sun lifted the bound and gaged woman in a bridal carry and set off towards Beacon's main campus. As the beautiful woman completely at his mercy squirmed in his grip Sun found himself thinking: Gods, I really hope this doesn't awaken anything within me.
As Ilia found herself unable to do anything other than squirm against the chiseled muscles of a man who was being very, very gentle with her she started to turn into an interesting shade of pink while thinking: Brothers of Light and Darkness, is this awakening something within me?
- - - - - -
"This is a great spot," Sun grinned as he flicked his fishing pole and sent his line out into the river. On his left was a bucket and a cooler filled with drinks and fish he had already caught. To his right Blake was sprawled out on the wooden planks of the dock soaking in the sunlight, her head propped up by a pillow and a new book in her hands. It was a perfect place to spend an day with a friend... or maybe more than a friend.
"Yep," Blake found herself agreeing with Sun's assessment: the sound of the river flowing past, the cool breeze contrasting with the warmth of the midday sun, the fish eagerly biting every hook sent into the water promising an epic cookout later. It was the perfect place to relax with a good book and enjoy the quite company of a friend... or maybe more than a friend.
And that was a line of thought Blake was hesitant to entertain considering the train-wreck that was her last relationship. Yet Sun's charm was completely different from the dark charisma of Adam Torus, there was a gentle and supportive warmth in the monkey faunus' nature the older bull faunus had lacked. Blake could tell that if she let down her defenses she could be quite happy settling down with Sun.
That was a terrifying notion, and the part of Blake that agitated for a better world rebelled against it. Could she really let herself become content and happy when there was so much that needed doing? And so the last lines of her defenses remained up and rigorously patrolled by the revolutionary's spirit. The book helped.
The book wasn't part of her standard fair of romance and intrigue; it was a science fiction anthology recommended to her by Ruby. The book had a unifying theme that could honestly have edged it into the horror category: time travel gone wrong.
In one story a man built a time machine only for the machine to get stuck between moments like an elevator stuck between floors, leaving the time traveler stuck between the tick and the tock for all eternity. In another a serial killer travel to the past and framed his younger self for a murder, setting the younger version of the man on the path that would make him a serial killer. The third story which she was currently working her way through involved a young man constantly dodging killer robots sent from the future for reasons that were unclear, but Blake could feel the reveal fast approaching.
As Blake turned the page a solid THUD shook the dock, and she looked up to see a peculiar sight. A large wooden luggage trunk was now on the dock resting between the two young faunus who had obviously carried the thing to where it now sat. How the two kids had gotten the thing on the dock without her or Sun noticing was another mystery, and the way the two of them were gasping for air made it clear they shouldn't have been that quiet.
"You kids alright?" Sun asked as he pulled the most recently caught fish off his hook. One of the kids held up a finger, a near universal sign to wait a moment. Sun put away his fishing pole and Blake placed her bookmark and tucked her book away in her purse. The two of them stood and they got a real good look at the kids as they finally caught their breaths.
The kids were both cat faunus with blond hair and perky feline ears. Even though one was a boy and the other a girl they bore such a close resemblance to one another that there was no question if they were related or not. They appeared to be really close in age, twins maybe? They also looked unsettlingly familiar to Blake. Were they related somehow?
The kids caught their breath at the same time, looked up with the same motion, locked eyes with Blake in the same instant, mirrored smiles broke out across their faces and they cried out with the same voice as they shot forward: "MOM!"
What. Thought Blake. "Wha-ooof," said Blake as the kids collided with her and wrapped her up in a bone-creaking hug.
"Uhhh... who are you two?" Sun asked the question Blake could not.
"I'm Leander," the young boy answered.
"I'm Leandra," the girl continued.
"Why did you call me mom?" Blake found herself asking in a tone that fully conveyed her bewilderment.
"Cause you're our mom," Leander explained as he took a step back.
"Our friend Moses has a time traveling semblance!" Leandra explained as she hugged tighter.
And in that moment Blake believed them. Seeing the two of them up close made several features unique to the Belladonna family stick out, though those features were somewhat diluted thanks to the influence of their father's genes. Blake squinted at them trying to find the features they got from their other parent, their hair was a particular shade of blonde that reminded her of Sun's hair, and as she squinted at their noses-
"I'm not your dad, am I?" Sun questioned, interrupting Blake's train of thought.
"Nope," Leandra chirped.
"Yeah you're not our Dad Uncle Sun," Leander confirmed.
What. Thought Blake. "What," said Blake.
"Yeah you started dating Dad after you saw that Uncle Sun and Aunt Ilia were made for each other," Leandra explained as she finally broke her hug.
"That's half of why we're here," Leander continued for his sister as he moved back to the large wooden luggage trunk. "We need to introduce Aunt Ilia to Uncle Sun!"
Leander popped the trunk open, and Leandra reached in and hoisted someone who had been trapped inside into a sitting position. She was definitely wearing Ilia Amitola's White Fang uniform and mask accompanied by a gag in her mouth, and she was making several angry sounds confirming to Blake that she was indeed Ilia Amitola. Ilia was tied up with several interesting knots Blake remembered reading about in several interesting books and seeing them on a friend was making Blake feel very uncomfortable.
"What." Said Sun.
Brothers of Light and Darkness my kids are crazy! Thought Blake.
"Why did you kidnap her!" Was what managed to come out of Blake's mouth.
"This is an emergency situation! We didn't have enough time to do anything else!" Was the excuse Leandra started.
"We aren't the only people who traveled back in time!" Leander continued for his sister. "A whole gaggle of time travelers arrived here today that are trying to change the past by having Dad marry someone else! If they succeed history could be changed forever!"
Blake had a whole book in her purse about why messing with history was a very bad idea. The revolutionary's spirit within her stood up and took notice. The weight of the world was falling upon her shoulders in this moment, and she'd be damned if she buckled under that weight and failed to rise to the occasion.
"Where's your Dad and who's your Dad?" Blake found herself asking as she pulled her weapons from her purse.
"Our Dad's Juane Arc," Leander provided, "and you'd probably have a better idea of where to find him than we do."
"Yeah, we spent way too much time looking for Aunt Ilia," Leandra agreed.
"Well then we don't have time to waste, follow me!" Blake called out to her kids as she took off in a dead sprint, a sprint that was quickly matched by the twins.
- - - - - -
And that was how Sun Wukong found himself standing on a dock with a bound and gagged stranger.
"Uhhh... So that just happened," Sun began.
Ilia made a grunting noise that might have been agreement. Sun frowned as he walked up to her and removed her White Fang mask, tossing the bone-white identity concealer into the water. He was met with the beautiful face of a very ticked off girl.
"You're really part of the White Fang, right?" Sun asked.
Ilia growled a response Sun had a much easier time interpreting now that he could see her eyes.
"Cool cool, If I untie you will you hurt me?"
Ilia snarled.
"Alright so untying you is a bad idea," Sun muttered.
Ilia's eyes widened as she realized her mistake.
"And I can't just leave you here," Sun mused to himself. After a moment to think he addressed Ilia directly, "Alright, I'm going to carry you to the nurse's office. If anyone asks we'll say I found you like this, which is technically true, and I'm taking you to the nurse because I don't know how to untie these knots. Sound good? Good."
With that Sun lifted the bound and gaged woman in a bridal carry and set off towards Beacon's main campus. As the beautiful woman completely at his mercy squirmed in his grip Sun found himself thinking: Gods, I really hope this doesn't awaken anything within me.
As Ilia found herself unable to do anything other than squirm against the chiseled muscles of a man who was being very, very gentle with her she started to turn into an interesting shade of pink while thinking: Brothers of Light and Darkness, is this awakening something within me?
Yang and Xia
AndrewJTalon
Experienced.
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- Apr 24, 2015
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Sift Green
Yang Xiao-Long yawned and stretched her arms up over her head. The early morning sun was up on this beautiful weekend, and she fully intended to get in a good jog before the start of her day. She set off on her usual track. She could see Jaune Arc jogging as well, and let herself smirk a bit.
VB's got the spirit, if nothing else, she thought, as the blond jogged on the other side of the quad. He waved at her briefly, and she returned it. Good on him.
She made it down to the Ruin Gardens just outside the main grounds... When what appeared to be a comet of burning yellow aura slammed right into the ground in front of her. She stood her ground and held up her arms to protect herself, and summoned up her Aura.
"What the hell-?!"
The aura and dust cleared. A girl stood there, about her age if not a bit younger. She was taller, curvy, and dressed in a black skirt, white tank top, boots, fighting gloves, and a blue and white jacket. Her long blonde hair was in a pony tail and her blue eyes glowed briefly.
"Uh... Hey?" Yang managed. "Nice of you to drop in."
The girl groaned.
"Ohhh geez, you're just as bad now," she moaned. She shook her head. "Okay, look. We don't have a lot of time, which is an actual joke once I tell you the rest."
"Hey! I am not bad at jokes!" Yang defended herself. "Who the hell are you, anyway?"
"Ugggghhh," the girl groaned. "Okay look: I'm your daughter Xia. From the future."
Yang blinked. She blinked again.
"I uh... Wait, what?!"
"I time traveled here by accident thanks to my friend Moses' Semblance, a lot of my half-siblings from different timelines showed up, long story short, if you don't get with my dad today, me and my siblings will cease to exist!" Xia held out her hand to Yang. "Please Mom, I know it sounds crazy, but if you don't do something, namely my dad, I'm a goner!"
Yang blinked a few more times. She snickered.
"Okay, who put you up to this? Ruby? Blake? This sounds demented enough to-"
"Your bio mom Raven abandoned you when you were two," Xia stated, eyes gazing into Yang's, "And then Granny Summer died on a mission after raising you and Aunt Ruby. She's your real mom to you and always will be. That's why you named me Xia, it's Mistralian for 'summer.'"
Yang again laughed, but angrily. She held up a fist.
"This is really getting a bit personal-"
"Uncle Qrow let you have some vodka when you were ten!" She went on. "You swore off the stuff after it made you throw up! But you get strawberry sunrises and other drinks like that!"
Yang's fists shook. She stared in disbelief.
"I... How could you-?"
"And you fell in love with Dad when he swore he would never abandon you," Xia went on, "And you knew he was telling the truth because you could always tell when he lied. And he never lied to you. Not ever!"
Yang slowly shook her head.
"N-Next... Next you'll tell me I marry Jaune Arc and he's your dad," Yang joked.
Xia nodded. Yang gaped.
"WHAT?!"
"That's right, Mom," Xia said, "That's my dad. That's your husband. Look!"
She pulled out a photo and unfolded it. She held it up to Yang.
"See? That's you, that's me, that's Dad-!"
Yang did see. And I still look so damn hot?! Yang thought to herself. That older version of herself in the purple bikini had even more amazing tits, and abs you could grind meat on! Older Jaune held her with one arm, and she had her other arm wrapped around his waist.
And Jaune... Holy shit, was that what Vomit Boy was going to look like in a few years?! Built like a brick shithouse! He was tall, with a beard and everything! He was bare-chested, wearing just blue swimming trunks, with abs sculpted by a chisel!
Mama like. Mama SO very like, went her brain.
She also saw Xia... And a LOT of other kids besides her. Boys and girls, all with similar features.
"Is that... Nine kids...?" Yang asked, a bit faint.
Xia nodded cheerfully.
"Yup! Well, ten. This is just before you found out you were pregnant again!"
"Again?!" Yang squeaked. Xia nodded.
"Yup! I know it sounds crazy, and you probably still don't believe me, but if you don't go on a date with Dad today, this future and me? We'll cease to exist and you might end up as some-some lonely biker lesbian with a cat or something!"
The girl's eyes... That fear. That loneliness. That desperation. She'd seen it before, in the mirror.
If Yang did become a mother, she had wondered what kind of mother she would be. Would she quit and run off like Raven? Or would she stay, and be a mother even to a child that wasn't hers but still loved anyway?
"Please Mom, help me! I don't know what else I can do to convince you-!"
Yang took the photo, and calmly tucked it between her breasts. She then reached out, and grabbed Xia's hand.
"Come on, Xia! Your Daddy's waiting!"
Xia stared at her in shock for a moment... Then she blinked away tears.
"YES!" Xia cheered. "I-I mean, not that you'd ever do anything less!"
"Damn right!" Yang laughed.
If it comes down to being like Raven or like Mom? I know what I'll choose, every time, Yang thought happily.
Besides, I ain't ending up as some lesbian biker living with a cat!
Elsewhere, Blake sneezed.
- - -
Yang Xiao-Long yawned and stretched her arms up over her head. The early morning sun was up on this beautiful weekend, and she fully intended to get in a good jog before the start of her day. She set off on her usual track. She could see Jaune Arc jogging as well, and let herself smirk a bit.
VB's got the spirit, if nothing else, she thought, as the blond jogged on the other side of the quad. He waved at her briefly, and she returned it. Good on him.
She made it down to the Ruin Gardens just outside the main grounds... When what appeared to be a comet of burning yellow aura slammed right into the ground in front of her. She stood her ground and held up her arms to protect herself, and summoned up her Aura.
"What the hell-?!"
The aura and dust cleared. A girl stood there, about her age if not a bit younger. She was taller, curvy, and dressed in a black skirt, white tank top, boots, fighting gloves, and a blue and white jacket. Her long blonde hair was in a pony tail and her blue eyes glowed briefly.
"Uh... Hey?" Yang managed. "Nice of you to drop in."
The girl groaned.
"Ohhh geez, you're just as bad now," she moaned. She shook her head. "Okay, look. We don't have a lot of time, which is an actual joke once I tell you the rest."
"Hey! I am not bad at jokes!" Yang defended herself. "Who the hell are you, anyway?"
"Ugggghhh," the girl groaned. "Okay look: I'm your daughter Xia. From the future."
Yang blinked. She blinked again.
"I uh... Wait, what?!"
"I time traveled here by accident thanks to my friend Moses' Semblance, a lot of my half-siblings from different timelines showed up, long story short, if you don't get with my dad today, me and my siblings will cease to exist!" Xia held out her hand to Yang. "Please Mom, I know it sounds crazy, but if you don't do something, namely my dad, I'm a goner!"
Yang blinked a few more times. She snickered.
"Okay, who put you up to this? Ruby? Blake? This sounds demented enough to-"
"Your bio mom Raven abandoned you when you were two," Xia stated, eyes gazing into Yang's, "And then Granny Summer died on a mission after raising you and Aunt Ruby. She's your real mom to you and always will be. That's why you named me Xia, it's Mistralian for 'summer.'"
Yang again laughed, but angrily. She held up a fist.
"This is really getting a bit personal-"
"Uncle Qrow let you have some vodka when you were ten!" She went on. "You swore off the stuff after it made you throw up! But you get strawberry sunrises and other drinks like that!"
Yang's fists shook. She stared in disbelief.
"I... How could you-?"
"And you fell in love with Dad when he swore he would never abandon you," Xia went on, "And you knew he was telling the truth because you could always tell when he lied. And he never lied to you. Not ever!"
Yang slowly shook her head.
"N-Next... Next you'll tell me I marry Jaune Arc and he's your dad," Yang joked.
Xia nodded. Yang gaped.
"WHAT?!"
"That's right, Mom," Xia said, "That's my dad. That's your husband. Look!"
She pulled out a photo and unfolded it. She held it up to Yang.
"See? That's you, that's me, that's Dad-!"
Yang did see. And I still look so damn hot?! Yang thought to herself. That older version of herself in the purple bikini had even more amazing tits, and abs you could grind meat on! Older Jaune held her with one arm, and she had her other arm wrapped around his waist.
And Jaune... Holy shit, was that what Vomit Boy was going to look like in a few years?! Built like a brick shithouse! He was tall, with a beard and everything! He was bare-chested, wearing just blue swimming trunks, with abs sculpted by a chisel!
Mama like. Mama SO very like, went her brain.
She also saw Xia... And a LOT of other kids besides her. Boys and girls, all with similar features.
"Is that... Nine kids...?" Yang asked, a bit faint.
Xia nodded cheerfully.
"Yup! Well, ten. This is just before you found out you were pregnant again!"
"Again?!" Yang squeaked. Xia nodded.
"Yup! I know it sounds crazy, and you probably still don't believe me, but if you don't go on a date with Dad today, this future and me? We'll cease to exist and you might end up as some-some lonely biker lesbian with a cat or something!"
The girl's eyes... That fear. That loneliness. That desperation. She'd seen it before, in the mirror.
If Yang did become a mother, she had wondered what kind of mother she would be. Would she quit and run off like Raven? Or would she stay, and be a mother even to a child that wasn't hers but still loved anyway?
"Please Mom, help me! I don't know what else I can do to convince you-!"
Yang took the photo, and calmly tucked it between her breasts. She then reached out, and grabbed Xia's hand.
"Come on, Xia! Your Daddy's waiting!"
Xia stared at her in shock for a moment... Then she blinked away tears.
"YES!" Xia cheered. "I-I mean, not that you'd ever do anything less!"
"Damn right!" Yang laughed.
If it comes down to being like Raven or like Mom? I know what I'll choose, every time, Yang thought happily.
Besides, I ain't ending up as some lesbian biker living with a cat!
Elsewhere, Blake sneezed.
- - -
Emerald and Amethyst
AndrewJTalon
Experienced.
- Joined
- Apr 24, 2015
- Messages
- 2,859
- Likes received
- 89,779
By Sift Green
- - - - - -
All in all? Mercury Black was having a good day. He got a solid eight hours of sleep, the mountings for his prosthetic legs weren't itching at all and the academy's cafeteria served some really good omelets for breakfast. To top it all off the Queen Bitch, Cinder Fall, had woken up on the right side of the bed this morning so all the subtle put downs normally sent his way hadn't been, and Emerald's fawning over the Queen Bitch had been significantly more tolerable as a result.
Then things took a sudden turn for the worst in the most mind bending way Mercury had never imagined.
Mercury had been at his desk, doodling an upgrade for the boots he wore over his prosthetics on a sheet of graph paper. Cinder was at her vanity making calculated adjustments to her makeup. Emerald was sitting on her bed flipping through her scroll in an effort to keep the team abreast of the latest news and gossip. It was a rare moment of simple peace for a group that usually intended nothing related to that concept.
Then the door to the dorm slammed open and immediately slammed shut. Mercury spared a glance in that direction expecting the return of Neopolitan, and he found himself doing a double take because the kid standing in front of the closed door looked nothing like the ice cream girl's current disguise. The kid looked a lot like a younger Emerald, but with somewhat lighter skin and with hair that was obviously dyed purple. The girl's eyes roamed over the room in an unfocused state until they locked on Em, at which point the kid launched her self forward while sobbing "MOM!"
That accusation of maternity froze Emerald in place as the sobbing child slammed into her with enough force to lay her out across the bedspread. Well honed survival instincts then forced the dark skinned thief to move out of that prone position into an 'edge of her seat' position on the corner of the bed. Yet in spite of these movements Emerald failed to dislodge the kid, and for reasons beyond Emerald's comprehension she started clinging back almost as hard as the child was.
"Who? What? Who? How?" It was an eloquent response from the thief. Mercury gave it an 11/10.
"Ma-ah-ah-om," the girl sobbed as if it was painful that Emerald didn't recognize her, "I, I'm Am-am-ethyst."
Emerald felt something inside her freeze with that name. In her wildest fantasies where Cinder knew about her feelings and they lived a life of luxury together she would imagine them adopting kids with troubled backgrounds like theirs. She had imagined a whole daycare of children she and Cinder saved from the streets and given new names matching her own jewelry theme, starting with a girl named Amethyst. Emerald felt her tongue become as lead, leaving her unable to speak.
Amethyst apparently took the silence as an invitation to continue, because she blubbered on, "My-my friend Mo-Moses has a Time, Time Travel sem-semb-lance, and, and we were wonder-ering if he could take o-other pe-ople wi-with him. Then things we-ent wrong and, and we, we went too far back and now, now I'm going to Diiiieee!"
While the mention of a Time Traveling semblance might cause disbelief in most situations Mercury found himself believing it. He had seen enough weird crap in his short life for time travel to not seem that far out their, and time travel made a lot more sense than a kid trying to con Em by pretending to be Em's kid.
On Emerald's part the mention of time travel caused everything to slide into place. The strange feeling of familiarity she felt with this girl was because the girl was by some miracle genuinely the flesh of her flesh, the bones of her bones. Emerald felt her tongue become loose, and she did her best to console her child.
"Mommy's got you my shining gemstone," Emerald murmured into Amethyst's hair, tears threatening to spill from the corner's of her eyes. "Mommy's got you. Tell me what's wrong and we'll fix it. We'll fix it."
"We, we. This is, be-before you and, and dad got together," Amethyst cried, and that was all the explanation Mercury needed; he had seen the time traveling movie where the main character accidentally made their parent's break up. Then Amethyst continued, "So-so Moses-es ended, ended up pul-ul-ling, pull-ing every, every other eldest kid Da-dad could have, have had with, oth-other wo-women he could-could have married instead of yoooooouuuuu!" And that was a twist Mercury didn't see coming. He could see why the kid was upset; imagining your parents in a different relationship was only fun if one of your parents was a bastard, like his own pops. But Amethyst didn't stop there; "And-and they're all, all stronger, and-and braver, and-and better than me! And they're all, all trying to get, get dad with, with their moms, and, AND I'M NEVER GONA BE BORN! I'm gOnA DiE-iE-iE before i'm even boooorrrrrnnnn!"
Dude. That was some heavy shit. Mercury leaned back in his seat and let out a slow, silent breath.
Emerald's grip tightened around Amethyst. She had know about her daughter for all of five minutes and she could already feel her slipping away. At that moment every bit of steel Emerald had within her settled within her spine. There was an obvious way to protect her shining gemstone, and Emerald spoke the words that would change the corse of her life:
"Then we just need to get to your father before anyone else does." Emerald nodded decisively as she adjusted her grip on Amethyst. The girl was a little large to want to cary, but getting ready to do so felt right. "What's your daddy's name?"
"Juane," Amethyst sniffled, "Juane Arc."
Surprise ran through Emerald's mind, and yet the surprise wasn't exactly unpleasant. She had spied a bit on Juane for Cinder, and he was attractive for a boy. He was naive and rough around the edges but he did have some real potential. Potential Cinder planned to cut short, but surly her mistress could make a few adjustments and-
"I. Thought. You. Liked. ME. Emerald."
Mercury felt his blood run cold at Cinder Fall's venomous tone. His eyes flicked over to her vanity to see the Queen Bitch looking over her shoulder at Em with the most intense gaze he had ever seen on the Bitch's face. She slowly turned in her seat without moving her head like some kind of demonic owl.
Mercury got up and slowly made his way to the door as quietly as he could possibly manage.
The raw hostility in Cinder's tone drove a wrench into the gears of Emerald's thoughts, and Amethyst froze like a rabbit under the gaze of a hawk.
"I. Thought. You. Were. In. Love. With. ME." Cinder hissed like a viper. "I. Thought. Your. Loyalty. Was. Unquestionable. You've spent years working to get into my good graces, years lapping at every shred of affection I've gifted you, all with some vague hope that I'd bring you into MY arms and MY bed. And now some phantasmal possibility made flesh throws itself at you and it makes you question your relationship with ME?"
New shocks forced their way through Emerald's system. A large part of her had always deluded herself into thinking that the only reason Cinder was so cold and distant was because Cinder was unaware of her feelings. But to know without a doubt that Cinder had been aware the whole time and was still so cold, distant, and sometimes subtly cruel? Something in Emerald's heart was tearing.
"And to think you'd be tempted to turn your back on MY plans, on ME, for what?" Cinder growled like a blasting furnace. "A weak Looser giving you a weak and pathetic child who can't take care of herself? Who can't defend her own pathetic life? That's what makes you reconsider your relationship with ME?"
Cinder stretched forth her hand, conjuring a knife of glass in the air within Emerald's reach. "Take. It. Take it and prove your willing to Cut. Out. The. Weakness. That. Would. Take. You. From. ME."
Emerald's grip on her daughter tightened. She couldn't even look at the knife.
"So. Be. It." Cinder stood up from her vanity, bringing the knife to her own hand and enveloping it in flame, "Prepare to die, Traitor."
Mercury threw the dorm room door open: "RUN EMERALD! RUN!"
Those words broke Emerald out of her mental gridlock, and she sprung forward with all the speed her aura enhance legs could muster, heaving Amethyst onto her shoulder so she could efficiently run with her child. A split second after she stated moving the burning glass knife struck the bed where she had been sitting, engulfing the furniture in flames.
Emerald tore from the room with her heart thundering in her ears. The hallways were dangerous, too enclosed. She needed room to maneuver. A courtyard would have enough space to not get instantly fried by a fireball. She needed to get to a courtyard.
She ran.
Cinder Fall burst out of the dorm room a moment later, knocking Mercury to the ground in the process. Cinder tore through the hallways with tears made of flame running down her face. "GET BACK HERE YOU LYING WHORE! I'LL BOIL YOUR BLOOD! I'LL COOK YOUR MARROW! I'LL TEACH YOU FOR TRICKING ME INTO THINKING YOU LOVED ME! DIE! DIE! DIE!"
- - - - - -
Back in the dorm room Mercury tried to sit up and take stock of the situation. His flesh seemed unburnt. His left leg prosthetic was slagged though, so getting anywhere would be a drag. Emerald's bed was on fire, so that meant... yep there was the fire suppression system kicking in. Now he was stuck on the ground and he was soaking wet. At least there wasn't anymore fire.
"SON OF A- ugh! FOR THE LOVE OF- hrrrrnn! AND TODAY STARTED OFF SO WELL!"
- - - - - -
All in all? Mercury Black was having a good day. He got a solid eight hours of sleep, the mountings for his prosthetic legs weren't itching at all and the academy's cafeteria served some really good omelets for breakfast. To top it all off the Queen Bitch, Cinder Fall, had woken up on the right side of the bed this morning so all the subtle put downs normally sent his way hadn't been, and Emerald's fawning over the Queen Bitch had been significantly more tolerable as a result.
Then things took a sudden turn for the worst in the most mind bending way Mercury had never imagined.
Mercury had been at his desk, doodling an upgrade for the boots he wore over his prosthetics on a sheet of graph paper. Cinder was at her vanity making calculated adjustments to her makeup. Emerald was sitting on her bed flipping through her scroll in an effort to keep the team abreast of the latest news and gossip. It was a rare moment of simple peace for a group that usually intended nothing related to that concept.
Then the door to the dorm slammed open and immediately slammed shut. Mercury spared a glance in that direction expecting the return of Neopolitan, and he found himself doing a double take because the kid standing in front of the closed door looked nothing like the ice cream girl's current disguise. The kid looked a lot like a younger Emerald, but with somewhat lighter skin and with hair that was obviously dyed purple. The girl's eyes roamed over the room in an unfocused state until they locked on Em, at which point the kid launched her self forward while sobbing "MOM!"
That accusation of maternity froze Emerald in place as the sobbing child slammed into her with enough force to lay her out across the bedspread. Well honed survival instincts then forced the dark skinned thief to move out of that prone position into an 'edge of her seat' position on the corner of the bed. Yet in spite of these movements Emerald failed to dislodge the kid, and for reasons beyond Emerald's comprehension she started clinging back almost as hard as the child was.
"Who? What? Who? How?" It was an eloquent response from the thief. Mercury gave it an 11/10.
"Ma-ah-ah-om," the girl sobbed as if it was painful that Emerald didn't recognize her, "I, I'm Am-am-ethyst."
Emerald felt something inside her freeze with that name. In her wildest fantasies where Cinder knew about her feelings and they lived a life of luxury together she would imagine them adopting kids with troubled backgrounds like theirs. She had imagined a whole daycare of children she and Cinder saved from the streets and given new names matching her own jewelry theme, starting with a girl named Amethyst. Emerald felt her tongue become as lead, leaving her unable to speak.
Amethyst apparently took the silence as an invitation to continue, because she blubbered on, "My-my friend Mo-Moses has a Time, Time Travel sem-semb-lance, and, and we were wonder-ering if he could take o-other pe-ople wi-with him. Then things we-ent wrong and, and we, we went too far back and now, now I'm going to Diiiieee!"
While the mention of a Time Traveling semblance might cause disbelief in most situations Mercury found himself believing it. He had seen enough weird crap in his short life for time travel to not seem that far out their, and time travel made a lot more sense than a kid trying to con Em by pretending to be Em's kid.
On Emerald's part the mention of time travel caused everything to slide into place. The strange feeling of familiarity she felt with this girl was because the girl was by some miracle genuinely the flesh of her flesh, the bones of her bones. Emerald felt her tongue become loose, and she did her best to console her child.
"Mommy's got you my shining gemstone," Emerald murmured into Amethyst's hair, tears threatening to spill from the corner's of her eyes. "Mommy's got you. Tell me what's wrong and we'll fix it. We'll fix it."
"We, we. This is, be-before you and, and dad got together," Amethyst cried, and that was all the explanation Mercury needed; he had seen the time traveling movie where the main character accidentally made their parent's break up. Then Amethyst continued, "So-so Moses-es ended, ended up pul-ul-ling, pull-ing every, every other eldest kid Da-dad could have, have had with, oth-other wo-women he could-could have married instead of yoooooouuuuu!" And that was a twist Mercury didn't see coming. He could see why the kid was upset; imagining your parents in a different relationship was only fun if one of your parents was a bastard, like his own pops. But Amethyst didn't stop there; "And-and they're all, all stronger, and-and braver, and-and better than me! And they're all, all trying to get, get dad with, with their moms, and, AND I'M NEVER GONA BE BORN! I'm gOnA DiE-iE-iE before i'm even boooorrrrrnnnn!"
Dude. That was some heavy shit. Mercury leaned back in his seat and let out a slow, silent breath.
Emerald's grip tightened around Amethyst. She had know about her daughter for all of five minutes and she could already feel her slipping away. At that moment every bit of steel Emerald had within her settled within her spine. There was an obvious way to protect her shining gemstone, and Emerald spoke the words that would change the corse of her life:
"Then we just need to get to your father before anyone else does." Emerald nodded decisively as she adjusted her grip on Amethyst. The girl was a little large to want to cary, but getting ready to do so felt right. "What's your daddy's name?"
"Juane," Amethyst sniffled, "Juane Arc."
Surprise ran through Emerald's mind, and yet the surprise wasn't exactly unpleasant. She had spied a bit on Juane for Cinder, and he was attractive for a boy. He was naive and rough around the edges but he did have some real potential. Potential Cinder planned to cut short, but surly her mistress could make a few adjustments and-
"I. Thought. You. Liked. ME. Emerald."
Mercury felt his blood run cold at Cinder Fall's venomous tone. His eyes flicked over to her vanity to see the Queen Bitch looking over her shoulder at Em with the most intense gaze he had ever seen on the Bitch's face. She slowly turned in her seat without moving her head like some kind of demonic owl.
Mercury got up and slowly made his way to the door as quietly as he could possibly manage.
The raw hostility in Cinder's tone drove a wrench into the gears of Emerald's thoughts, and Amethyst froze like a rabbit under the gaze of a hawk.
"I. Thought. You. Were. In. Love. With. ME." Cinder hissed like a viper. "I. Thought. Your. Loyalty. Was. Unquestionable. You've spent years working to get into my good graces, years lapping at every shred of affection I've gifted you, all with some vague hope that I'd bring you into MY arms and MY bed. And now some phantasmal possibility made flesh throws itself at you and it makes you question your relationship with ME?"
New shocks forced their way through Emerald's system. A large part of her had always deluded herself into thinking that the only reason Cinder was so cold and distant was because Cinder was unaware of her feelings. But to know without a doubt that Cinder had been aware the whole time and was still so cold, distant, and sometimes subtly cruel? Something in Emerald's heart was tearing.
"And to think you'd be tempted to turn your back on MY plans, on ME, for what?" Cinder growled like a blasting furnace. "A weak Looser giving you a weak and pathetic child who can't take care of herself? Who can't defend her own pathetic life? That's what makes you reconsider your relationship with ME?"
Cinder stretched forth her hand, conjuring a knife of glass in the air within Emerald's reach. "Take. It. Take it and prove your willing to Cut. Out. The. Weakness. That. Would. Take. You. From. ME."
Emerald's grip on her daughter tightened. She couldn't even look at the knife.
"So. Be. It." Cinder stood up from her vanity, bringing the knife to her own hand and enveloping it in flame, "Prepare to die, Traitor."
Mercury threw the dorm room door open: "RUN EMERALD! RUN!"
Those words broke Emerald out of her mental gridlock, and she sprung forward with all the speed her aura enhance legs could muster, heaving Amethyst onto her shoulder so she could efficiently run with her child. A split second after she stated moving the burning glass knife struck the bed where she had been sitting, engulfing the furniture in flames.
Emerald tore from the room with her heart thundering in her ears. The hallways were dangerous, too enclosed. She needed room to maneuver. A courtyard would have enough space to not get instantly fried by a fireball. She needed to get to a courtyard.
She ran.
Cinder Fall burst out of the dorm room a moment later, knocking Mercury to the ground in the process. Cinder tore through the hallways with tears made of flame running down her face. "GET BACK HERE YOU LYING WHORE! I'LL BOIL YOUR BLOOD! I'LL COOK YOUR MARROW! I'LL TEACH YOU FOR TRICKING ME INTO THINKING YOU LOVED ME! DIE! DIE! DIE!"
- - - - - -
Back in the dorm room Mercury tried to sit up and take stock of the situation. His flesh seemed unburnt. His left leg prosthetic was slagged though, so getting anywhere would be a drag. Emerald's bed was on fire, so that meant... yep there was the fire suppression system kicking in. Now he was stuck on the ground and he was soaking wet. At least there wasn't anymore fire.
"SON OF A- ugh! FOR THE LOVE OF- hrrrrnn! AND TODAY STARTED OFF SO WELL!"
Pyrrha and Xander
AndrewJTalon
Experienced.
- Joined
- Apr 24, 2015
- Messages
- 2,859
- Likes received
- 89,779
- - - - - -
It wasn't as though Pyrrha was expecting anything unusual to happen today. Just her standard Saturday routine: Do some training, join her team for breakfast, then some relaxation time. Nora had been pestering her for the last month to just ask Jaune out, and as tempting as it was...
She just couldn't muster the courage to do it. This feeling of cowardice made her frown as she jogged on the treadmill in the school gym.
She wanted so badly to just be honest, but... The prospect of rejection froze her to her very core. How could she make him understand that she'd fallen for him at first sight? Even someone as socially inexperienced as her realized that it would sound crazy. She had lived most of her life wearing masks, concealing her true feelings. It had been vital for survival and success, but now?
It paralyzed her with fear at someone seeing the real her. Especially Jaune.
Ha... The Invincible Girl, afraid of being rejected by the one she loves, she thought with a mental sigh, It would be funny if it wasn't so sad...
After finishing a workout that would kill an Atlasian Specialist (her daily routine), Pyrrha went to the showers, washed up, and emerged in her school uniform. She paused as she entered the hallway, and frowned.
Wait... That's another electromagnetic field powered by Aura... Why am I feeling another-?
"Hello Mother."
Pyrrha started and turned around. Her jaw dropped. The young man before her was... Was tall. Redhaired, with deep blue eyes, aristocratic cheekbones, and a pointed chin. He wore armor similar to hers, but with segmented plating under strong pauldrons. A red cape hung from his shoulders, and a leather band was around his head under his short hair. A Clipueis shield was on his back, while a mechashift Spatha hung from his belt. His walk was confident, but not arrogant-Almost painfully familiar.
Pyrrha blinked a few times. Her mind went to the most likely possibility for this unusual young man to be standing before her calling her mother.
It was a fairly short list, after all.
"Um... I have run into stalkers before, so, I'm sorry but I can't be your-" Pyrrha began, as politely as she could. The young man shook his head and groaned. He held up a hand to his face, and calmed himself before he spoke again.
"Ugh, no, I'm not a stalker. I'm..." He sighed again, and looked right into her eyes.
"Okay... You told me that you fell in love with Dad from the moment you pinned him to a tree in the Emerald Forest during your Initiation. Is that true, or false?"
Pyrrha's jaw dropped. Her face went bright red.
"I-You-What do you-?!"
"I know this is going to sound crazy, but I'm your son Xander," he introduced himself, "I'm from the future. My best friend, Moses, has a time travel Semblance. We accidentally got sent back in time... To the day of your first date with Dad. Jaune Arc."
Pyrrha continued to stare in shock. Xander bowed his head.
"I know how it sounds. This-This isn't a scam. and I know it's a lot to take in, but..."
"Eeeeeeeeeee...!"
Xander started and gaped at her.
"Mom?"
Pyrrha's shock slowly turned... Into an ascendant joy.
She grinned happily, her eyes lit up, and her soul seemed to fly!
Her keen mind rationalized that this was too insane to be a scam of some sort, and who would know of when she fell for Jaune but her own son? She would tell her children the story, over and over, with their father, her Jaune, her Jaune, alongside! Share with them all the love and affection she was denied in her life, and make sure her children knew they were the product of true love!
She hugged her tall son, and it felt like the most natural thing in the world. She beamed up at him, and relief flooded his face.
"I believe you," she said. Xander grinned and hugged her back.
"Thanks Mom... Thank you... That means everything. Though uh... We might have a problem. I mean, along with the date-"
"What problem?" Pyrrha asked, maternal concern emerging in her heart as naturally as breathing. Xander winced.
"Um... Basically, if you don't go on that date, I will never be born. And uh... I've got a lot of temporal half-siblings. Other kids from other timelines where Dad... Didn't marry you."
Pyrrha's jade eyes narrowed.
"What."
"I-I mean, if I'm the destined son of Jaune Arc, then you know, it doesn't matter, but they're all going to try to hook Dad up with their mothers to-"
"What."
Xander cringed as Pyrrha's face became grim. Oh, she could be a scary mother. Good to know. She hoped she would be loving but also able to command respect and fear when necessary. Mostly love! But also fear where required. She wasn't going to raise her kids like her mother did!
"Um, yeah, so they might be gunning for Dad and then my siblings and I will never exist-"
"What."
Pyrrha pulled out her Scroll and summoned her locker. The rocket locker flew in through the open archways. The moment it was in range, she yanked it down to the floor so hard it left a crater in the tiles. She yanked out her gear and got dressed in no time. She swung back around, Milo and Akuo in her hands. She didn't pay any mind to Xander's embarrassed blush.
"M-Mom, did you have to change in the middle of the-?"
"Yes," Pyrrha said, slamming her shield and sword together hard enough for sparks to fly off them, "Nobody's erasing my baby from existence. Let's find your father!"
Xander grinned in relief, and it filled her heart with song.
"Thank you Mom... That means everything to me."
"This means everything to me too, son," Pyrrha said. Her serious countenance broke for a moment.
"Just... Out of curiosity, how many children do your father and I have?"
Xander smiled.
"Uh... Nine? I think you were trying for a tenth when I left but-"
"Eeeeeeeeeeee!"
Xander stared at his mom. Pyrrha coughed and shook her head. The excited teenaged girl retreated... And the Spartan warrior emerged.
"Come on son... We're getting my man."
- - - - - -
It wasn't as though Pyrrha was expecting anything unusual to happen today. Just her standard Saturday routine: Do some training, join her team for breakfast, then some relaxation time. Nora had been pestering her for the last month to just ask Jaune out, and as tempting as it was...
She just couldn't muster the courage to do it. This feeling of cowardice made her frown as she jogged on the treadmill in the school gym.
She wanted so badly to just be honest, but... The prospect of rejection froze her to her very core. How could she make him understand that she'd fallen for him at first sight? Even someone as socially inexperienced as her realized that it would sound crazy. She had lived most of her life wearing masks, concealing her true feelings. It had been vital for survival and success, but now?
It paralyzed her with fear at someone seeing the real her. Especially Jaune.
Ha... The Invincible Girl, afraid of being rejected by the one she loves, she thought with a mental sigh, It would be funny if it wasn't so sad...
After finishing a workout that would kill an Atlasian Specialist (her daily routine), Pyrrha went to the showers, washed up, and emerged in her school uniform. She paused as she entered the hallway, and frowned.
Wait... That's another electromagnetic field powered by Aura... Why am I feeling another-?
"Hello Mother."
Pyrrha started and turned around. Her jaw dropped. The young man before her was... Was tall. Redhaired, with deep blue eyes, aristocratic cheekbones, and a pointed chin. He wore armor similar to hers, but with segmented plating under strong pauldrons. A red cape hung from his shoulders, and a leather band was around his head under his short hair. A Clipueis shield was on his back, while a mechashift Spatha hung from his belt. His walk was confident, but not arrogant-Almost painfully familiar.
Pyrrha blinked a few times. Her mind went to the most likely possibility for this unusual young man to be standing before her calling her mother.
It was a fairly short list, after all.
"Um... I have run into stalkers before, so, I'm sorry but I can't be your-" Pyrrha began, as politely as she could. The young man shook his head and groaned. He held up a hand to his face, and calmed himself before he spoke again.
"Ugh, no, I'm not a stalker. I'm..." He sighed again, and looked right into her eyes.
"Okay... You told me that you fell in love with Dad from the moment you pinned him to a tree in the Emerald Forest during your Initiation. Is that true, or false?"
Pyrrha's jaw dropped. Her face went bright red.
"I-You-What do you-?!"
"I know this is going to sound crazy, but I'm your son Xander," he introduced himself, "I'm from the future. My best friend, Moses, has a time travel Semblance. We accidentally got sent back in time... To the day of your first date with Dad. Jaune Arc."
Pyrrha continued to stare in shock. Xander bowed his head.
"I know how it sounds. This-This isn't a scam. and I know it's a lot to take in, but..."
"Eeeeeeeeeee...!"
Xander started and gaped at her.
"Mom?"
Pyrrha's shock slowly turned... Into an ascendant joy.
She grinned happily, her eyes lit up, and her soul seemed to fly!
Her keen mind rationalized that this was too insane to be a scam of some sort, and who would know of when she fell for Jaune but her own son? She would tell her children the story, over and over, with their father, her Jaune, her Jaune, alongside! Share with them all the love and affection she was denied in her life, and make sure her children knew they were the product of true love!
She hugged her tall son, and it felt like the most natural thing in the world. She beamed up at him, and relief flooded his face.
"I believe you," she said. Xander grinned and hugged her back.
"Thanks Mom... Thank you... That means everything. Though uh... We might have a problem. I mean, along with the date-"
"What problem?" Pyrrha asked, maternal concern emerging in her heart as naturally as breathing. Xander winced.
"Um... Basically, if you don't go on that date, I will never be born. And uh... I've got a lot of temporal half-siblings. Other kids from other timelines where Dad... Didn't marry you."
Pyrrha's jade eyes narrowed.
"What."
"I-I mean, if I'm the destined son of Jaune Arc, then you know, it doesn't matter, but they're all going to try to hook Dad up with their mothers to-"
"What."
Xander cringed as Pyrrha's face became grim. Oh, she could be a scary mother. Good to know. She hoped she would be loving but also able to command respect and fear when necessary. Mostly love! But also fear where required. She wasn't going to raise her kids like her mother did!
"Um, yeah, so they might be gunning for Dad and then my siblings and I will never exist-"
"What."
Pyrrha pulled out her Scroll and summoned her locker. The rocket locker flew in through the open archways. The moment it was in range, she yanked it down to the floor so hard it left a crater in the tiles. She yanked out her gear and got dressed in no time. She swung back around, Milo and Akuo in her hands. She didn't pay any mind to Xander's embarrassed blush.
"M-Mom, did you have to change in the middle of the-?"
"Yes," Pyrrha said, slamming her shield and sword together hard enough for sparks to fly off them, "Nobody's erasing my baby from existence. Let's find your father!"
Xander grinned in relief, and it filled her heart with song.
"Thank you Mom... That means everything to me."
"This means everything to me too, son," Pyrrha said. Her serious countenance broke for a moment.
"Just... Out of curiosity, how many children do your father and I have?"
Xander smiled.
"Uh... Nine? I think you were trying for a tenth when I left but-"
"Eeeeeeeeeeee!"
Xander stared at his mom. Pyrrha coughed and shook her head. The excited teenaged girl retreated... And the Spartan warrior emerged.
"Come on son... We're getting my man."
- - - - - -
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Weiss and Nicholas
AndrewJTalon
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- - -
Weiss Schnee prided herself on her punctuality and sense of timing. Her routine was so exact, she could time it herself with an internal clock. Get up at six AM, finish morning rituals at six-forty five, go work out until seven fifty-five, shower, dress, then return to the dorm at eight thirty sharp for her morning tea.
A morning tea that had already been prepared. Even from the dorm room door, she could smell the characteristic scent of Klein's special brand of Darjeeling, and how it had been prepared. She could also see her favorite cookies (biscuits, as Klein would call them in his Albion accent) in a neat pile on a plate. She frowned deeply, and moved towards the spread with Myrtenaster at the ready.
"Yang? If this is one of your pranks, I swear to the Gods I will-!"
A Schnee Glyph appeared behind her, sealing the door. She gasped and scanned around.
A glyph... But I don't recognize it... Who-?
"I hope you like the spread," a male voice spoke. Weiss turned and glared at the newcomer, who emerged from the RWBY bathroom. A tall, platinum blond young man, dressed in blue, white, and red combat armor. Strangely, it reminded her of Arc's armor, save for the long white coat he wore over it. He also wore his collar high, high enough to hide his mouth and nose.
Weiss' glare intensified. The boy's body language was... Hesitant. Yet familiar. He looked at her intently, as though seeing someone else.
"Who are you?" She demanded. The boy sighed softly.
"Isn't it obvious?" he asked, "You're not a dolt, right?"
"Insulting my intelligence is a hell of a way to make a first impression!" Weiss growled, her own Glyph spinning in front of her.
The boy winced at that. So much so that Weiss hesitated. He was an intruder with Schnee Glyphs, a Semblance that was only available to those of the Schnee bloodline... He looked so strangely familiar... Almost like Uncle Warden, actually, but his eyes and nose were wrong...
"Are you... A relative of mine?" Weiss asked, a bit softer in tone this time.
The boy... Laughed strangely. He nodded.
"Yes, you could say that," he said. He nodded to the spread. "I had hoped using Uncle Klein's recipe and the Glyph would be enough, but... I guess your life isn't insane enough at this point to contemplate... Time travel."
Weiss stared in shock. She fell back and sat down on a chair roughly, dropping her weapon and her Glyph. She gaped at him.
"T-Time travel?" She whispered. The boy nodded.
"My name is Nicholas Warden Schnee," he murmured, "I was named for your grandfather, your father-in-law, and your favorite uncle. I will never call that old bastard Jacques my grandfather. I'm from the future."
"I... I see," Weiss managed. Inside she was a roiling torrent of emotions-Fear, shock, astonishment...
He smiled warmly at her.
"You found love in the end, Mother," Nicholas said gently, "You found happiness. My father is a great man, a kind man. He helped you reform the SDC, he made Schnee Manor into a place of warmth, cheer, and love. I love you both dearly and have never wanted for anything. Our family is huge and wonderful. It's not perfect, but..."
He pulled out a locket and held it out to her.
"I have never felt unloved or neglected," Nicholas said softly, "Because you and Dad made sure we knew we were precious to you."
He handed her the locket, and she took it with shaky hands as she opened it. A holographic image appeared: An older version of herself, with slight lines around her eyes from smiles. And what a smile her older self wore! It wasn't forced at all, it was truly open and happy!
(She was also secretly pleased she'd grown some curves-She was voluptuous and fit and beautiful in her later years! Take THAT, Xiao-Long!)
Her eyes bugged out a little at the huge number of children around her and her future husband.
"T-T-Ten?!" She gasped.
"My Father said it runs in his family," Nicholas said with a small smile.
It was then that Weiss studied the face of her future husband. He was handsome, absolutely. Tall, fit, with a beard and kind eyes. He held her around her waist with genuine love his eyes, a love her future self returned. Strangely, he almost looked like...
"No," Weiss whispered. She dropped the locket like it was burning hot and scooted back. "NO! I-I can't-I marry JAUNE ARC?!"
Nicholas barely caught the locket in time. He stared at his mother in disbelief.
"Uh, yeah," he said, "Jaune Arc is my father-"
"NO WAY!" Weiss shouted. "AS IF I WOULD EVER MARRY THAT-THAT IDIOTIC, GOOFY, GANGLY DOLT! YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME!"
Nicholas blinked.
"Um, no Mother, you really did-"
"NO! NONONONONONO!" Weiss's cheeks heated up. "I-I DON'T HAVE ANY FEELINGS FOR HIM! ESPECIALLY NOT AFTER THE DANCE AND NEPTUNE-NO!"
She rapidly shook her head again.
"Did-Did that idiot put you up to this?!" She demanded. "With-With drugs and-and holograms?!"
"How would he afford those?" Nicholas asked, dismayed, "He was a farmboy from Radian!"
"NOOOOO! I-I do not-I don't believe it!" Weiss cried.
"Mother," Nicholas said urgently, "If you don't go on a date with my father, I'll cease to exist! All my brothers and sisters will cease to exist! You don't want that, do you?"
"NO! I-I mean... Are you sure it's him?" Weiss asked.
Nicholas sighed heavily.
"He told me you were difficult during this time, but he really undersold it," he muttered.
"I AM NOT DIFFICULT!" Weiss screeched. "And-And I don't like him at all! Not one bit!"
Nicholas, with a deadpan expression, opened the locket and showed the hologram again. Weiss' face turned red at the sight of the older Jaune.
"N-NOPE! NO! NOT EVEN A LITTLE!" Weiss declared.
Nicholas sighed again.
"Mother, please," he said, "If you don't succeed, someone like Auntie Pyrrha, Auntie Yang, Auntie Ruby, or Auntie Blake might scoop him up first!"
"WHAT?!" Weiss cried. "They-Those-NO! I-I'm-!"
"Mother!" Nicholas growled. "Mom, please! Just talk to Dad! You'll see what you told us you saw in him, I promise!"
Weiss flushed deeply.
"I... I'll go and talk to him," she managed, "Though I'm sure this is a ridiculous prank... And-And I don't like him and never will!"
Nicholas sighed yet again. This was proof in her mind that this was a charade: No child of hers would be so disrespectful to their mother!
Though maybe that was Arc's influence-NO! NO! THAT WOULD NOT HAPPEN! NOT EVER!
- - -
Weiss Schnee prided herself on her punctuality and sense of timing. Her routine was so exact, she could time it herself with an internal clock. Get up at six AM, finish morning rituals at six-forty five, go work out until seven fifty-five, shower, dress, then return to the dorm at eight thirty sharp for her morning tea.
A morning tea that had already been prepared. Even from the dorm room door, she could smell the characteristic scent of Klein's special brand of Darjeeling, and how it had been prepared. She could also see her favorite cookies (biscuits, as Klein would call them in his Albion accent) in a neat pile on a plate. She frowned deeply, and moved towards the spread with Myrtenaster at the ready.
"Yang? If this is one of your pranks, I swear to the Gods I will-!"
A Schnee Glyph appeared behind her, sealing the door. She gasped and scanned around.
A glyph... But I don't recognize it... Who-?
"I hope you like the spread," a male voice spoke. Weiss turned and glared at the newcomer, who emerged from the RWBY bathroom. A tall, platinum blond young man, dressed in blue, white, and red combat armor. Strangely, it reminded her of Arc's armor, save for the long white coat he wore over it. He also wore his collar high, high enough to hide his mouth and nose.
Weiss' glare intensified. The boy's body language was... Hesitant. Yet familiar. He looked at her intently, as though seeing someone else.
"Who are you?" She demanded. The boy sighed softly.
"Isn't it obvious?" he asked, "You're not a dolt, right?"
"Insulting my intelligence is a hell of a way to make a first impression!" Weiss growled, her own Glyph spinning in front of her.
The boy winced at that. So much so that Weiss hesitated. He was an intruder with Schnee Glyphs, a Semblance that was only available to those of the Schnee bloodline... He looked so strangely familiar... Almost like Uncle Warden, actually, but his eyes and nose were wrong...
"Are you... A relative of mine?" Weiss asked, a bit softer in tone this time.
The boy... Laughed strangely. He nodded.
"Yes, you could say that," he said. He nodded to the spread. "I had hoped using Uncle Klein's recipe and the Glyph would be enough, but... I guess your life isn't insane enough at this point to contemplate... Time travel."
Weiss stared in shock. She fell back and sat down on a chair roughly, dropping her weapon and her Glyph. She gaped at him.
"T-Time travel?" She whispered. The boy nodded.
"My name is Nicholas Warden Schnee," he murmured, "I was named for your grandfather, your father-in-law, and your favorite uncle. I will never call that old bastard Jacques my grandfather. I'm from the future."
"I... I see," Weiss managed. Inside she was a roiling torrent of emotions-Fear, shock, astonishment...
He smiled warmly at her.
"You found love in the end, Mother," Nicholas said gently, "You found happiness. My father is a great man, a kind man. He helped you reform the SDC, he made Schnee Manor into a place of warmth, cheer, and love. I love you both dearly and have never wanted for anything. Our family is huge and wonderful. It's not perfect, but..."
He pulled out a locket and held it out to her.
"I have never felt unloved or neglected," Nicholas said softly, "Because you and Dad made sure we knew we were precious to you."
He handed her the locket, and she took it with shaky hands as she opened it. A holographic image appeared: An older version of herself, with slight lines around her eyes from smiles. And what a smile her older self wore! It wasn't forced at all, it was truly open and happy!
(She was also secretly pleased she'd grown some curves-She was voluptuous and fit and beautiful in her later years! Take THAT, Xiao-Long!)
Her eyes bugged out a little at the huge number of children around her and her future husband.
"T-T-Ten?!" She gasped.
"My Father said it runs in his family," Nicholas said with a small smile.
It was then that Weiss studied the face of her future husband. He was handsome, absolutely. Tall, fit, with a beard and kind eyes. He held her around her waist with genuine love his eyes, a love her future self returned. Strangely, he almost looked like...
"No," Weiss whispered. She dropped the locket like it was burning hot and scooted back. "NO! I-I can't-I marry JAUNE ARC?!"
Nicholas barely caught the locket in time. He stared at his mother in disbelief.
"Uh, yeah," he said, "Jaune Arc is my father-"
"NO WAY!" Weiss shouted. "AS IF I WOULD EVER MARRY THAT-THAT IDIOTIC, GOOFY, GANGLY DOLT! YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME!"
Nicholas blinked.
"Um, no Mother, you really did-"
"NO! NONONONONONO!" Weiss's cheeks heated up. "I-I DON'T HAVE ANY FEELINGS FOR HIM! ESPECIALLY NOT AFTER THE DANCE AND NEPTUNE-NO!"
She rapidly shook her head again.
"Did-Did that idiot put you up to this?!" She demanded. "With-With drugs and-and holograms?!"
"How would he afford those?" Nicholas asked, dismayed, "He was a farmboy from Radian!"
"NOOOOO! I-I do not-I don't believe it!" Weiss cried.
"Mother," Nicholas said urgently, "If you don't go on a date with my father, I'll cease to exist! All my brothers and sisters will cease to exist! You don't want that, do you?"
"NO! I-I mean... Are you sure it's him?" Weiss asked.
Nicholas sighed heavily.
"He told me you were difficult during this time, but he really undersold it," he muttered.
"I AM NOT DIFFICULT!" Weiss screeched. "And-And I don't like him at all! Not one bit!"
Nicholas, with a deadpan expression, opened the locket and showed the hologram again. Weiss' face turned red at the sight of the older Jaune.
"N-NOPE! NO! NOT EVEN A LITTLE!" Weiss declared.
Nicholas sighed again.
"Mother, please," he said, "If you don't succeed, someone like Auntie Pyrrha, Auntie Yang, Auntie Ruby, or Auntie Blake might scoop him up first!"
"WHAT?!" Weiss cried. "They-Those-NO! I-I'm-!"
"Mother!" Nicholas growled. "Mom, please! Just talk to Dad! You'll see what you told us you saw in him, I promise!"
Weiss flushed deeply.
"I... I'll go and talk to him," she managed, "Though I'm sure this is a ridiculous prank... And-And I don't like him and never will!"
Nicholas sighed yet again. This was proof in her mind that this was a charade: No child of hers would be so disrespectful to their mother!
Though maybe that was Arc's influence-NO! NO! THAT WOULD NOT HAPPEN! NOT EVER!
- - -
Arslan and Petra
AndrewJTalon
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Beneath the shade of a mighty oak tree overlooking Beacon's main campus echoed the voice a young woman singing an ancient psalm in its' original tongue, a dead language known as Ozymandilian that many sacred texts were first written in. With each stanza and verse the woman danced through the various fundamental katas that she had learned durning her study at the Temple of the Broken Table. Her rhythmic movements slowed as the psalm reached its' final verse, and as it ended she smoothly slid into a crosslegged sitting position on a stone she had placed beneath the oak tree beforehand.
With her morning communion with the divine completed, Arslan Altan moved on to more personal meditations.
'The mark of a good friend is that they make it easier for you to be a good person.' So said Guru Kirkpatrick when she informed him of her decision to stop her studies at the Temple and to attend the more secular institution of Sanctum Academy instead. 'The mark of a good rival is similar, they make it easier for you to be a good warrior.'
She had found many good friends at Sanctum, but she had only found one good rival. Pyrrha Nikos was a singular combatant that always pushed Arslan to the absolute limits of her body and soul. The two of them had clashed countless times in the school's combat classes, in the school's tournaments, and as representatives of the school in the Minstral Regional Tournament. As steel sharpening steel the two of them sharpened one another, and they both climbed higher for it...
...Or at least that was what she had thought at the time. It was clear that Pyrrha had not thought the same considering she didn't enroll in Haven nor did she invite Arslan to follow her to Beacon. And now that Arslan was here as an exchange student at Beacon for the lead up to the Vytal Festival Pyrrha had ignored her requests for any formal duels or friendly spars in favor of private training with her team leader Jaune Arc.
And so Arslan was forced to face an unpleasant truth: while Pyrrha had been a good rival for her she had not been a good rival for Pyrrha. This truth was evidenced by the fact that Pyrrha was taking the raw materials that were Jaune Arc and sculpting them into her vision of a perfect warrior.
Had she truly been such a lackluster rival that Pyrrha felt she was better off making a new rival in her own image?
And so she closed her eyes and altered her breathing using techniques she had learned at the Temple meant to help one recall and review old memories with fresh eyes.
Every clash with the Invincible Girl flashed through Arslan's vision. Every punch, every kick, every thrust of her dagger, every swing of her rope dart, every bruise, every sprain, every drop of blood spilt. All of her experiences fighting the redheaded warrior paraded through her mind and were examined from every angle she could conceive. The picture hindsight painted was not pretty.
A little over a hundred clashes, and Arslan was pushed to her limits every single time. Yet she had only pushed Pyrrha to her limits twice, and one of those times had been their very first fight. She had managed to make Pyrrha sweat for her victory in twenty-three of their bouts, and of course she had never won.
With a track record that abysmal it was no wonder that Pyrrha was looking elsewhere for a worthy foe. If someone with that bad of a record had considered her their rival Arslan knew she would have a hard time taking them seriously. It was clear now that the tournament of the Vytal Festival was her last chance to prove herself to the Invincible Girl, her last chance to prove that she was a good rival. If she failed she would need to find another worthy foe.
But if not Pyrrha, who? No one else came close to the champion, and she had climbed so high in her efforts to reach her... It was like she was a lonely mountain's peak, separated from the surrounding lands while trying to catch the moon.
With that sobering thought Arslan opened her eyes, and was surprised by the sight before her.
A younger woman who also wore the garb afforded to someone who had studied at the Temple of the Broken Table sat before her on the grass in a similar meditative pose to her own. The girls face looked similar to the face Arslan saw in the mirror every morning, though her skin was a few shades lighter and her hair several feet longer while being tied into a braid that hung over her left shoulder. A cousin she had never properly met? That was a likely possibility. Her great-great-grandfather had taken the commandment from the holy books of 'Be fruitful and multiply' very, very seriously.
The younger woman held her hands in front of herself in the sign of The Table, and then with a flourish changed them into the sign of The Broken Table.
"My Guru," The young woman spoke, not in the modern tongues of Minstral or Vale, but in the dead languages taught in the Temple, "I am Petra, initiate of The Temple of the Broken Table. I seek your wisdom in my time of trial."
"I am Arslan, First Degree Stone Breaker," She replied in kind as she stiffened her spine. She had never acted as someone's spiritual guide before, but as the senior member of The Order present her duty was clear. It was time to see what she could learn as she taught. "I will freely share the truths that I know."
"What is truth? And why do so few find it?" Petra began her questions with a doozy; something that should be simple and yet people felt this compulsion to make it more complicated than it was.
"Truth," Arslan began, "Is a knowledge of how things really are, how they really were, and how they really will be. So few people find it because truth is as uncompromising as the sky; so when the sun shines too brightly, or the stars move in ways unpleasant to behold they seek to place clouds between themselves and the truth."
"If one finds oneself in a land completely overcast the clouds become the sky," Petra pressed on, "And the people of the land will act accordingly."
"Though clouds cover the whole sky, the Sun, Moon and Stars remain unchanged behind them," Arslan explained. "Such is the nature of truth. Though it may be obscured by the philosophies and conveniences of the day it remains unchanged by them, and it will outlast them. Clouds cannot hide the Sun and Stars forever, for the Sun and Stars will persist long after the storm is a forgotten memory."
"Then tell me, my Guru, how should one act during the day of obscurement?"
"As one who has seen the Sun and the Stars you must not forget how they shined in the sky," Arslan instructed. "For forgotten truths cannot guide you through the storm."
A moment of silence passed between the two, with Petra deep in thought. Part of Arslan felt she should wait for Petra to fully mull things over and present her next question, but the rest of her was curious and figured asking a question of her own could help her better help her impromptu student.
And so Arslan inquired, "What trial do you face that makes you ask these questions?"
"My Guru, I must convince you of a truth that would appear as a falsehood at first with only the evidence I have in my mind," Petra answered. "For my scroll is not with me, and all else I cary will mean nothing to you."
"Interesting..." Arslan mused, "Then tell me of this truth that appears false, that we may discuss what you would need to share to prove if it is of the sky or of the clouds."
"I believe that you believe I am a cousin of yours," Petra began, "Yet I am not. I am the fruit of your field's first harvest, fallen through a hole in time to an era before my father sowed my seed. If I fail to convince you of this, and you fail to secure my father's hand in marriage my life is forfeit, for the day of my birth will never come."
Arslan felt her eyebrows rise to a hight they had never risen too before. That... was defiantly hard to believe, especially without physical proof. Still, there were ways...
"Is there something known in the time you claim to come from that isn't known now, but can be proven now?"
"Is the nature of Pyrrha Nikos' semblance common knowledge in this time?"
"It is not..." If Arslan thought her eyebrows couldn't rise higher they proved her wrong that very instant.
"Pyrrha calls her semblance Polarity," Petra explained "It's most basic application allows her to become a living magnet, allowing her to attract or repel any mettle she wishes."
Arslan brought her hand to her chin. That... that made waaaay too much sense. Hindsight told her that she had never landed a hit on Pyrrha with her Dagger/Rope Dart. Every attack that had connected with the Invincible Girl had been made with her feet or fists. However, even those hits were few and far between, so how...
"Another basic application of Polarity allows her to sense the metal around her, letting her know where attacks are coming from. I'm unsure how refined this ability is right now, but in my time she can sense the iron in your blood."
That... that also made sense. She might not be consciously doing the blood thing yet, but Pyrrha had defiantly dodged punches she shouldn't have seen coming.
"She can also control the metal around her in a manner that looks telekinetic, something I know she has practiced but has not yet been forced to use in a way that can be seen."
Manny things were falling into place. How Pyrrha was able to keep track of everyone in a four vs one. How challengers who normally had solid stances slipped against Pyrrha because they were wearing metal boots or leg guards. How weapon strikes that should have been solid hits never connected.
If this was true than Arslan was still the lone mountain peak that had stretched into the sky to touch the Moon...
...But Pyrrha was no longer the Moon. Her invincibility was tied to her semblance, and there were ways she could work around that. She could have a fair fight and prove her worth as a rival...
...If it was true. This still needed to be proven... so another question was warranted.
"Are there no witnesses that could corroborate your story, did anyone see you fall through time?"
"Nobody saw me fall, but I did not fall alone," Petra answered. "There were fourteen of us. First is my friend Moses, who's semblance allowed the fall in the first place. The rest are all children of my father, from different times where you are not the mother. Not all of them chose to name their mothers, but among those who did were Julian son of The Reaper, Ruby Rose; Leander and Leandra children of Menagerie's Queen, Blake Belladonna; Xia daughter of the Raging Dragon, Yang Xiao Long; Xander son of the Invincible Woman, Pyrrha Nikos; and Nicholas son of Weiss Schnee."
Those were all pretty impressive titles for her fellow students. Which of course lead to the question: "Who is your father, that so many worthy women take notice of him?"
"My father, your husband, is Jaune Arc."
The raw clay Pyrrha sought to mould into her own image. If what Petra was saying was true then the man had enough potential for Pyrrha to succeed in that endeavor. That was defiantly an appealing thought.
It also meant that it didn't matter if it was sky or cloud; Pyrrha would believe what this Xander told her, meaning Pyrrha would hold nothing back if she tried to fight her for Jaune's hand. The prospect of fighting Pyrrha at her most dangerous was daunting, especially since she had never beaten the girl before...
Yet if what Petra said was true then the affections of Jaune Arc was worth any challenge. Arslan was defiantly interested in getting to know a man like that.
Arslan stood up, and extended a hand to Petra. Then she spoke, not in Ozymandilian, but in the modern and far less formal language of Vale.
"I don't know if you're my daughter, or if Jaune Arc is my future husband. But I'm willing to find out. I'm going to have to find a wooden dagger though."
"I have something else that could help," Petra offered, also in the modern language of Vale, as she accepted Arslan's hand and rose to her feet. "There is a technique I can teach you in something like, ten minutes. It uses your Aura to conceal all of the metals naturally found in the body."
Arslan felt a very sinister grin grow across her face. A giggle escaped her lips, which rose into an unhinged cackle that lasted for an embarrassingly long period of time. Why was this making her feel so giddy?
Defiantly something to meditate on later.
With her morning communion with the divine completed, Arslan Altan moved on to more personal meditations.
'The mark of a good friend is that they make it easier for you to be a good person.' So said Guru Kirkpatrick when she informed him of her decision to stop her studies at the Temple and to attend the more secular institution of Sanctum Academy instead. 'The mark of a good rival is similar, they make it easier for you to be a good warrior.'
She had found many good friends at Sanctum, but she had only found one good rival. Pyrrha Nikos was a singular combatant that always pushed Arslan to the absolute limits of her body and soul. The two of them had clashed countless times in the school's combat classes, in the school's tournaments, and as representatives of the school in the Minstral Regional Tournament. As steel sharpening steel the two of them sharpened one another, and they both climbed higher for it...
...Or at least that was what she had thought at the time. It was clear that Pyrrha had not thought the same considering she didn't enroll in Haven nor did she invite Arslan to follow her to Beacon. And now that Arslan was here as an exchange student at Beacon for the lead up to the Vytal Festival Pyrrha had ignored her requests for any formal duels or friendly spars in favor of private training with her team leader Jaune Arc.
And so Arslan was forced to face an unpleasant truth: while Pyrrha had been a good rival for her she had not been a good rival for Pyrrha. This truth was evidenced by the fact that Pyrrha was taking the raw materials that were Jaune Arc and sculpting them into her vision of a perfect warrior.
Had she truly been such a lackluster rival that Pyrrha felt she was better off making a new rival in her own image?
And so she closed her eyes and altered her breathing using techniques she had learned at the Temple meant to help one recall and review old memories with fresh eyes.
Every clash with the Invincible Girl flashed through Arslan's vision. Every punch, every kick, every thrust of her dagger, every swing of her rope dart, every bruise, every sprain, every drop of blood spilt. All of her experiences fighting the redheaded warrior paraded through her mind and were examined from every angle she could conceive. The picture hindsight painted was not pretty.
A little over a hundred clashes, and Arslan was pushed to her limits every single time. Yet she had only pushed Pyrrha to her limits twice, and one of those times had been their very first fight. She had managed to make Pyrrha sweat for her victory in twenty-three of their bouts, and of course she had never won.
With a track record that abysmal it was no wonder that Pyrrha was looking elsewhere for a worthy foe. If someone with that bad of a record had considered her their rival Arslan knew she would have a hard time taking them seriously. It was clear now that the tournament of the Vytal Festival was her last chance to prove herself to the Invincible Girl, her last chance to prove that she was a good rival. If she failed she would need to find another worthy foe.
But if not Pyrrha, who? No one else came close to the champion, and she had climbed so high in her efforts to reach her... It was like she was a lonely mountain's peak, separated from the surrounding lands while trying to catch the moon.
With that sobering thought Arslan opened her eyes, and was surprised by the sight before her.
A younger woman who also wore the garb afforded to someone who had studied at the Temple of the Broken Table sat before her on the grass in a similar meditative pose to her own. The girls face looked similar to the face Arslan saw in the mirror every morning, though her skin was a few shades lighter and her hair several feet longer while being tied into a braid that hung over her left shoulder. A cousin she had never properly met? That was a likely possibility. Her great-great-grandfather had taken the commandment from the holy books of 'Be fruitful and multiply' very, very seriously.
The younger woman held her hands in front of herself in the sign of The Table, and then with a flourish changed them into the sign of The Broken Table.
"My Guru," The young woman spoke, not in the modern tongues of Minstral or Vale, but in the dead languages taught in the Temple, "I am Petra, initiate of The Temple of the Broken Table. I seek your wisdom in my time of trial."
"I am Arslan, First Degree Stone Breaker," She replied in kind as she stiffened her spine. She had never acted as someone's spiritual guide before, but as the senior member of The Order present her duty was clear. It was time to see what she could learn as she taught. "I will freely share the truths that I know."
"What is truth? And why do so few find it?" Petra began her questions with a doozy; something that should be simple and yet people felt this compulsion to make it more complicated than it was.
"Truth," Arslan began, "Is a knowledge of how things really are, how they really were, and how they really will be. So few people find it because truth is as uncompromising as the sky; so when the sun shines too brightly, or the stars move in ways unpleasant to behold they seek to place clouds between themselves and the truth."
"If one finds oneself in a land completely overcast the clouds become the sky," Petra pressed on, "And the people of the land will act accordingly."
"Though clouds cover the whole sky, the Sun, Moon and Stars remain unchanged behind them," Arslan explained. "Such is the nature of truth. Though it may be obscured by the philosophies and conveniences of the day it remains unchanged by them, and it will outlast them. Clouds cannot hide the Sun and Stars forever, for the Sun and Stars will persist long after the storm is a forgotten memory."
"Then tell me, my Guru, how should one act during the day of obscurement?"
"As one who has seen the Sun and the Stars you must not forget how they shined in the sky," Arslan instructed. "For forgotten truths cannot guide you through the storm."
A moment of silence passed between the two, with Petra deep in thought. Part of Arslan felt she should wait for Petra to fully mull things over and present her next question, but the rest of her was curious and figured asking a question of her own could help her better help her impromptu student.
And so Arslan inquired, "What trial do you face that makes you ask these questions?"
"My Guru, I must convince you of a truth that would appear as a falsehood at first with only the evidence I have in my mind," Petra answered. "For my scroll is not with me, and all else I cary will mean nothing to you."
"Interesting..." Arslan mused, "Then tell me of this truth that appears false, that we may discuss what you would need to share to prove if it is of the sky or of the clouds."
"I believe that you believe I am a cousin of yours," Petra began, "Yet I am not. I am the fruit of your field's first harvest, fallen through a hole in time to an era before my father sowed my seed. If I fail to convince you of this, and you fail to secure my father's hand in marriage my life is forfeit, for the day of my birth will never come."
Arslan felt her eyebrows rise to a hight they had never risen too before. That... was defiantly hard to believe, especially without physical proof. Still, there were ways...
"Is there something known in the time you claim to come from that isn't known now, but can be proven now?"
"Is the nature of Pyrrha Nikos' semblance common knowledge in this time?"
"It is not..." If Arslan thought her eyebrows couldn't rise higher they proved her wrong that very instant.
"Pyrrha calls her semblance Polarity," Petra explained "It's most basic application allows her to become a living magnet, allowing her to attract or repel any mettle she wishes."
Arslan brought her hand to her chin. That... that made waaaay too much sense. Hindsight told her that she had never landed a hit on Pyrrha with her Dagger/Rope Dart. Every attack that had connected with the Invincible Girl had been made with her feet or fists. However, even those hits were few and far between, so how...
"Another basic application of Polarity allows her to sense the metal around her, letting her know where attacks are coming from. I'm unsure how refined this ability is right now, but in my time she can sense the iron in your blood."
That... that also made sense. She might not be consciously doing the blood thing yet, but Pyrrha had defiantly dodged punches she shouldn't have seen coming.
"She can also control the metal around her in a manner that looks telekinetic, something I know she has practiced but has not yet been forced to use in a way that can be seen."
Manny things were falling into place. How Pyrrha was able to keep track of everyone in a four vs one. How challengers who normally had solid stances slipped against Pyrrha because they were wearing metal boots or leg guards. How weapon strikes that should have been solid hits never connected.
If this was true than Arslan was still the lone mountain peak that had stretched into the sky to touch the Moon...
...But Pyrrha was no longer the Moon. Her invincibility was tied to her semblance, and there were ways she could work around that. She could have a fair fight and prove her worth as a rival...
...If it was true. This still needed to be proven... so another question was warranted.
"Are there no witnesses that could corroborate your story, did anyone see you fall through time?"
"Nobody saw me fall, but I did not fall alone," Petra answered. "There were fourteen of us. First is my friend Moses, who's semblance allowed the fall in the first place. The rest are all children of my father, from different times where you are not the mother. Not all of them chose to name their mothers, but among those who did were Julian son of The Reaper, Ruby Rose; Leander and Leandra children of Menagerie's Queen, Blake Belladonna; Xia daughter of the Raging Dragon, Yang Xiao Long; Xander son of the Invincible Woman, Pyrrha Nikos; and Nicholas son of Weiss Schnee."
Those were all pretty impressive titles for her fellow students. Which of course lead to the question: "Who is your father, that so many worthy women take notice of him?"
"My father, your husband, is Jaune Arc."
The raw clay Pyrrha sought to mould into her own image. If what Petra was saying was true then the man had enough potential for Pyrrha to succeed in that endeavor. That was defiantly an appealing thought.
It also meant that it didn't matter if it was sky or cloud; Pyrrha would believe what this Xander told her, meaning Pyrrha would hold nothing back if she tried to fight her for Jaune's hand. The prospect of fighting Pyrrha at her most dangerous was daunting, especially since she had never beaten the girl before...
Yet if what Petra said was true then the affections of Jaune Arc was worth any challenge. Arslan was defiantly interested in getting to know a man like that.
Arslan stood up, and extended a hand to Petra. Then she spoke, not in Ozymandilian, but in the modern and far less formal language of Vale.
"I don't know if you're my daughter, or if Jaune Arc is my future husband. But I'm willing to find out. I'm going to have to find a wooden dagger though."
"I have something else that could help," Petra offered, also in the modern language of Vale, as she accepted Arslan's hand and rose to her feet. "There is a technique I can teach you in something like, ten minutes. It uses your Aura to conceal all of the metals naturally found in the body."
Arslan felt a very sinister grin grow across her face. A giggle escaped her lips, which rose into an unhinged cackle that lasted for an embarrassingly long period of time. Why was this making her feel so giddy?
Defiantly something to meditate on later.
May and August
AndrewJTalon
Experienced.
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- Apr 24, 2015
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- - -
"Yo, May! Ya got a visitor!"
May sighed as she finished adjusting her hat in the mirror. Honestly, if it wasn't one thing it was another with her team! Officially, Brawnz was supposed to be the leader, but he tended to just put everything on her shoulders.
"Who is it?" She asked.
"No idea!" Brawnz shouted.
"I did tell you my name," a pleasant tenor voice spoke.
"Yeah, which means shit to me!" Brawnz growled. "So unless you wanna get your shit kicked in, I suggest you beat it!"
A pause.
"I really do just need to talk to her, really quick-"
"Tough titties, Skyscraper!"
May winced. That was Brawnz' 'gonna punch something' tone. Which was followed by the sound of flesh hitting flesh and several yelps. She hurried out of the bathroom, an apology on her lips.
"Guys, please don't... Hurt him?"
May blinked. All three of her teammates, Brawnz, Nolan, and Roy, were unconscious on the floor. Standing among them, without so much as a scratch, was a tall, dark skinned young man with yellow blond hair and blue eyes. He was dressed in a simple hoodie, white, blue and black, with black shorts and white boots. She blushed; He was very handsome, and strangely familiar...?
"Sorry," he said, "But you always said I had to use a strong hand with my uncles."
May blinked. She blinked again.
"Ummm... Uncles?" She asked.
The young man blanched and slapped the side of his head.
"Damnit! I wasn't supposed to say that!" He groaned. "I-I mean, not right now... Later... Maybe..." He sighed, and his shoulders slumped. "Look, I wouldn't blame you for wanting to shoot me right now, but I just... Please let me talk for five minutes. Okay? It's really important Mom."
May blushed deep red. She blinked several times.
"M-M-Mom?" She managed, feeling a bit faint.
The boy again slapped the side of his head.
"Crrraaaaappp!"
- - -
May and the young man moved her unconscious teammates to their bunks. They then sat down, and May prepared some coffee. They sat down at the table as Brawnz, Nolan, and Roy all remained out. Brawnz even began to drool so they didn't seem to be in much pain.
"Again, super sorry," he said, "Uh... Okay. First things first: I'm August. I'm named for your-"
"Father?" May asked quietly. August nodded.
"Yeah, I-!"
"There is a reason I have to run my team," she said with a soft smile, "Your b-body language is very honest and earnest. And... Why would anyone lie that they were someone's child from the future, unless it was true?"
August stared, and laughed in relief.
"Oh... Oh man... I still forget how smart you are sometimes, Mom!" He winced. "Er, sorry-"
"It's all right," May said cheerfully. She sipped her coffee. "Besides... I... I've learned to trust my feelings."
The Aura the boy gave off was... Too much like her own to be a fraud. Not unless he had some kind of Aura emulation Semblance, but why use that just for this elaborate of a prank? They'd have to know she could sense them. It's why she was so good at her job. Aura Sensing was a skill she'd had to develop out of sheer survival, and it had always served her well.
Though it also made her very nervous to approach people. How to explain that you felt more comfortable talking to certain people based on how they felt than others? It was... Weird, and so was she.
"So... Um... You got here by time travel, I suppose?" May tried, before wincing. That sounded terrible!
"Yup," August said with a nod, "My best friend Moses has a time travel Semblance. We didn't mean to go back this far, but uh... We kind of super charged it."
"I can tell," May said with a nod, "Your Aura is staggeringly powerful, even inactive!" She beamed at him. "I-I'm very proud of you!"
She paused as August blushed.
"Oh, dear, um, did I say something wrong?" She asked. "Did-Did I embarrass you? Do you need a-a juice box?"
August chuckled fondly.
"No, I'm okay Mom. Also? Too old for those."
"Oh. Um... A beer?" May asked.
"I'm... Fine with coffee, really," August said, sipping the coffee. "But we have a problem. Today... Today is when you were supposed to go on your first date with Dad."
May blinked.
"Eh? I-I went on a date? He-did he ask me? I-I don't think I could ask him..." She began to fret. "Oh no... Oh no... Did I forget our date?!"
She didn't think she would forget something like that! She didn't think she'd make a date though, either!
... Then again, she didn't think she'd be meeting her future son today!
"Who is it with?" She asked.
"Jaune Arc," August said.
May blinked, then her entire face burned bright red.
I would definitely have remembered that...!
"I-I... Isn't he with-with Pyrrha Nikos?" She asked. "Th-They hang out all the time-!"
"Not in my timeline," he said. "Which is the other problem. Other children from my dad have showed up, too. If Dad gets with anyone but you... I mean... Well, I'll cease to exist."
May gasped in horror and reached out to touch her future son. Just to make sure he was still solid.
"Are... Are you happy? Am-Am I good mother?" She asked urgently.
August beamed.
"The best," he said, without a hint of hesitation or deception in his voice or Aura.
With other people, it was difficult to talk to them because their Auras projected so much unsaid. It made her nervous, so nervous she just shrank back. She was good at that, staying in the background. She was a sniper, after all.
But August... He was so earnest, and warm. Honestly, she'd only felt that way around Jaune... Oh. That would explain the getting married and having kids thing easily, wouldn't it?
On the other hand... There was the whole getting married and having kids thing to consider. Also, the other children wouldn't want to be erased, either.
That was unfortunate, but... The only other alternatives didn't seem very likely. All or nothing? She knew other girls, girls like the ones on Team NDGO. They were all catty, nasty, horrible people. They would never share, not even for their children.
But I don't want to share, either, she thought miserably. So she was no better than them...
Still...
"Let's... Let's go see your father then," May said with a firm nod. "M-Maybe if we talk this out... Things will get better?"
And if they didn't, well... She'd bring her sniper rifle along. Just in case.
- - -
"Yo, May! Ya got a visitor!"
May sighed as she finished adjusting her hat in the mirror. Honestly, if it wasn't one thing it was another with her team! Officially, Brawnz was supposed to be the leader, but he tended to just put everything on her shoulders.
"Who is it?" She asked.
"No idea!" Brawnz shouted.
"I did tell you my name," a pleasant tenor voice spoke.
"Yeah, which means shit to me!" Brawnz growled. "So unless you wanna get your shit kicked in, I suggest you beat it!"
A pause.
"I really do just need to talk to her, really quick-"
"Tough titties, Skyscraper!"
May winced. That was Brawnz' 'gonna punch something' tone. Which was followed by the sound of flesh hitting flesh and several yelps. She hurried out of the bathroom, an apology on her lips.
"Guys, please don't... Hurt him?"
May blinked. All three of her teammates, Brawnz, Nolan, and Roy, were unconscious on the floor. Standing among them, without so much as a scratch, was a tall, dark skinned young man with yellow blond hair and blue eyes. He was dressed in a simple hoodie, white, blue and black, with black shorts and white boots. She blushed; He was very handsome, and strangely familiar...?
"Sorry," he said, "But you always said I had to use a strong hand with my uncles."
May blinked. She blinked again.
"Ummm... Uncles?" She asked.
The young man blanched and slapped the side of his head.
"Damnit! I wasn't supposed to say that!" He groaned. "I-I mean, not right now... Later... Maybe..." He sighed, and his shoulders slumped. "Look, I wouldn't blame you for wanting to shoot me right now, but I just... Please let me talk for five minutes. Okay? It's really important Mom."
May blushed deep red. She blinked several times.
"M-M-Mom?" She managed, feeling a bit faint.
The boy again slapped the side of his head.
"Crrraaaaappp!"
- - -
May and the young man moved her unconscious teammates to their bunks. They then sat down, and May prepared some coffee. They sat down at the table as Brawnz, Nolan, and Roy all remained out. Brawnz even began to drool so they didn't seem to be in much pain.
"Again, super sorry," he said, "Uh... Okay. First things first: I'm August. I'm named for your-"
"Father?" May asked quietly. August nodded.
"Yeah, I-!"
"There is a reason I have to run my team," she said with a soft smile, "Your b-body language is very honest and earnest. And... Why would anyone lie that they were someone's child from the future, unless it was true?"
August stared, and laughed in relief.
"Oh... Oh man... I still forget how smart you are sometimes, Mom!" He winced. "Er, sorry-"
"It's all right," May said cheerfully. She sipped her coffee. "Besides... I... I've learned to trust my feelings."
The Aura the boy gave off was... Too much like her own to be a fraud. Not unless he had some kind of Aura emulation Semblance, but why use that just for this elaborate of a prank? They'd have to know she could sense them. It's why she was so good at her job. Aura Sensing was a skill she'd had to develop out of sheer survival, and it had always served her well.
Though it also made her very nervous to approach people. How to explain that you felt more comfortable talking to certain people based on how they felt than others? It was... Weird, and so was she.
"So... Um... You got here by time travel, I suppose?" May tried, before wincing. That sounded terrible!
"Yup," August said with a nod, "My best friend Moses has a time travel Semblance. We didn't mean to go back this far, but uh... We kind of super charged it."
"I can tell," May said with a nod, "Your Aura is staggeringly powerful, even inactive!" She beamed at him. "I-I'm very proud of you!"
She paused as August blushed.
"Oh, dear, um, did I say something wrong?" She asked. "Did-Did I embarrass you? Do you need a-a juice box?"
August chuckled fondly.
"No, I'm okay Mom. Also? Too old for those."
"Oh. Um... A beer?" May asked.
"I'm... Fine with coffee, really," August said, sipping the coffee. "But we have a problem. Today... Today is when you were supposed to go on your first date with Dad."
May blinked.
"Eh? I-I went on a date? He-did he ask me? I-I don't think I could ask him..." She began to fret. "Oh no... Oh no... Did I forget our date?!"
She didn't think she would forget something like that! She didn't think she'd make a date though, either!
... Then again, she didn't think she'd be meeting her future son today!
"Who is it with?" She asked.
"Jaune Arc," August said.
May blinked, then her entire face burned bright red.
I would definitely have remembered that...!
"I-I... Isn't he with-with Pyrrha Nikos?" She asked. "Th-They hang out all the time-!"
"Not in my timeline," he said. "Which is the other problem. Other children from my dad have showed up, too. If Dad gets with anyone but you... I mean... Well, I'll cease to exist."
May gasped in horror and reached out to touch her future son. Just to make sure he was still solid.
"Are... Are you happy? Am-Am I good mother?" She asked urgently.
August beamed.
"The best," he said, without a hint of hesitation or deception in his voice or Aura.
With other people, it was difficult to talk to them because their Auras projected so much unsaid. It made her nervous, so nervous she just shrank back. She was good at that, staying in the background. She was a sniper, after all.
But August... He was so earnest, and warm. Honestly, she'd only felt that way around Jaune... Oh. That would explain the getting married and having kids thing easily, wouldn't it?
On the other hand... There was the whole getting married and having kids thing to consider. Also, the other children wouldn't want to be erased, either.
That was unfortunate, but... The only other alternatives didn't seem very likely. All or nothing? She knew other girls, girls like the ones on Team NDGO. They were all catty, nasty, horrible people. They would never share, not even for their children.
But I don't want to share, either, she thought miserably. So she was no better than them...
Still...
"Let's... Let's go see your father then," May said with a firm nod. "M-Maybe if we talk this out... Things will get better?"
And if they didn't, well... She'd bring her sniper rifle along. Just in case.
- - -
Plans and Counter Plans
AndrewJTalon
Experienced.
- Joined
- Apr 24, 2015
- Messages
- 2,859
- Likes received
- 89,779
His mother wasn't at Beacon today, she was in an airship conducting a patrol on the other side of Vale and she wouldn't return until late in the evening. This put him at a severe disadvantage when compared to his competition, but that didn't matter: He was the son of Atlas' greatest general and her greatest strategist. He just needed to deny his enemies victory long enough for her to return.
To that end Theodore had tucked himself away in a barely noticeable corner of the library where his scroll had good reception. His mission? Hack his Father's scroll and change his Father's schedule so he wouldn't be anywhere near the women who would soon be looking for him. The question of where to send his father wasn't clear yet, but once he had a good look at what else his father was doing today he should have a decent idea of what to do.
Waiting for a connection... Thinking long and hard about the right password... wrong password... Thinking long and hard about the right password... wrong password... Thinking long and hard about the right password... GOT IT!
Opening the schedule program, slightly surprised the schedule program didn't hav its' own password but whatever. Navigating to today and... oh no.
His father's schedule consisted of waking up, having breakfast, a morning workout and then nothing. Nothing until a singular event labeled 'PARTY?' after 7:30 pm.
The startling realization that his Father's strict adherence to a schedule was a result of his mother's influence was a little disheartening, as this meant his plans needed a serous overhaul.
But still, the mission objectives remained the same. He just needed to find his father and come up with a reasonable excuse for why he needed to stay away from campus until the party started and to not show up at the party until the authorities were called in to put a stop to it! Then he'd meet Theodore's mother and everything will be right in the world!
Theodore packed up his equipment, activated the 'find me' feature of his father's scroll, and moved out.
--------------------
Within Beacon's armory a set of twins talked shop.
"You think we can hit Pyrrha with this Laser Bazooka, or should I grab that wooden stake launcher?" Ash asked as he hefted the aforementioned Laser Bazooka.
"Bring both just in case," Ashley answered as she mused over he own haul. "Let's see, a recoilless rifle to bust through any glyphs the Schnees could use as shields is a good find, plus all the different dust rounds that can go in it. Is there something here that can disorient a faunus?"
"Honestly I'm more worried about robots, is there anything here that can do an EMP?"
"Would that tesla coil work?"
"Too risky; what if Aunt Nora decides to interfere on the side of someone who's not mom?"
"Right, that would be bad. Have either of us looked in that room yet?"
"I don't think we have."
They looked. Ashely grinned.
"Wanna pilot a mech?"
"No." Ash frowned as he pulled his sister back to the previous room, "No mechs. All of our targets are too maneuverable to fight with a mech."
"Spoilsport."
--------------------
'Tactile Telekinesis is a stupid power! You can move things with your mind but only if you're touching them! Laaaame!' That schoolyard taunt ran through Dorothy's mind every time she used her power for the thing that made those bullies shut up. You're always touching your clothes, so by using tactile telekinesis on your shoes you can fly!
Of course the normal thrill of flight was significantly hampered by the fact that she hadn't caught anyone! She could fly! She should have been faster than anyone besides Julian and his busted semblance!
Yet somehow all of them disappeared after they left the dining hall at the campground, and she couldn't find any of them!
Now one would think having a bird's eye view of the Academy would help her, but what most people don't realize is that a bird's eye view requires bird's eyes if you want to see anything clearly on the ground. Her binoculars were proving to be a poor substitute.
She was beginning to despair when she finally spotted one of the Schnee looking boys leaving the main library. And so Dorothy zoomed down as fast as she could and came to a stop in front of the boy while bellowing:
"THEODORE! YOU'RE COMING WITH ME!"
"Hello Dorothy," Theodore calmly replied, "I believe you and I have a common cause at this point."
"No, you're going to help me find the others, and we're going to regroup back at the camp and wait for-"
"Moses' plan fell apart the instant the cats managed to slip out of the room and you know it," Theodore interrupted. "By this point at least one of our step-siblings have found their mom, and that means they'll be bringing their moms straight to Dad, thereby circumventing the party that resulted in Dad dating his wife. My mom started dating Dad because she put a stop to that party once it got out of hand, and I'm betting the same is true for your mom, right?"
"R-right," Dorothy deflated a bit.
"And that means the best bet for you and for me is to make sure nobody finds Dad before the party starts," Theodore reasoned, "We can let fate pick up the slack at that point."
Dorothy hissed in frustration. Theodore was right. Her best bet was to be on his side now. Sorry Moses. Sorry Xander.
"Well then. Let's go find Dad." Dorothy growled as she gestured for Theodore to lead the way.
To that end Theodore had tucked himself away in a barely noticeable corner of the library where his scroll had good reception. His mission? Hack his Father's scroll and change his Father's schedule so he wouldn't be anywhere near the women who would soon be looking for him. The question of where to send his father wasn't clear yet, but once he had a good look at what else his father was doing today he should have a decent idea of what to do.
Waiting for a connection... Thinking long and hard about the right password... wrong password... Thinking long and hard about the right password... wrong password... Thinking long and hard about the right password... GOT IT!
Opening the schedule program, slightly surprised the schedule program didn't hav its' own password but whatever. Navigating to today and... oh no.
His father's schedule consisted of waking up, having breakfast, a morning workout and then nothing. Nothing until a singular event labeled 'PARTY?' after 7:30 pm.
The startling realization that his Father's strict adherence to a schedule was a result of his mother's influence was a little disheartening, as this meant his plans needed a serous overhaul.
But still, the mission objectives remained the same. He just needed to find his father and come up with a reasonable excuse for why he needed to stay away from campus until the party started and to not show up at the party until the authorities were called in to put a stop to it! Then he'd meet Theodore's mother and everything will be right in the world!
Theodore packed up his equipment, activated the 'find me' feature of his father's scroll, and moved out.
--------------------
Within Beacon's armory a set of twins talked shop.
"You think we can hit Pyrrha with this Laser Bazooka, or should I grab that wooden stake launcher?" Ash asked as he hefted the aforementioned Laser Bazooka.
"Bring both just in case," Ashley answered as she mused over he own haul. "Let's see, a recoilless rifle to bust through any glyphs the Schnees could use as shields is a good find, plus all the different dust rounds that can go in it. Is there something here that can disorient a faunus?"
"Honestly I'm more worried about robots, is there anything here that can do an EMP?"
"Would that tesla coil work?"
"Too risky; what if Aunt Nora decides to interfere on the side of someone who's not mom?"
"Right, that would be bad. Have either of us looked in that room yet?"
"I don't think we have."
They looked. Ashely grinned.
"Wanna pilot a mech?"
"No." Ash frowned as he pulled his sister back to the previous room, "No mechs. All of our targets are too maneuverable to fight with a mech."
"Spoilsport."
--------------------
'Tactile Telekinesis is a stupid power! You can move things with your mind but only if you're touching them! Laaaame!' That schoolyard taunt ran through Dorothy's mind every time she used her power for the thing that made those bullies shut up. You're always touching your clothes, so by using tactile telekinesis on your shoes you can fly!
Of course the normal thrill of flight was significantly hampered by the fact that she hadn't caught anyone! She could fly! She should have been faster than anyone besides Julian and his busted semblance!
Yet somehow all of them disappeared after they left the dining hall at the campground, and she couldn't find any of them!
Now one would think having a bird's eye view of the Academy would help her, but what most people don't realize is that a bird's eye view requires bird's eyes if you want to see anything clearly on the ground. Her binoculars were proving to be a poor substitute.
She was beginning to despair when she finally spotted one of the Schnee looking boys leaving the main library. And so Dorothy zoomed down as fast as she could and came to a stop in front of the boy while bellowing:
"THEODORE! YOU'RE COMING WITH ME!"
"Hello Dorothy," Theodore calmly replied, "I believe you and I have a common cause at this point."
"No, you're going to help me find the others, and we're going to regroup back at the camp and wait for-"
"Moses' plan fell apart the instant the cats managed to slip out of the room and you know it," Theodore interrupted. "By this point at least one of our step-siblings have found their mom, and that means they'll be bringing their moms straight to Dad, thereby circumventing the party that resulted in Dad dating his wife. My mom started dating Dad because she put a stop to that party once it got out of hand, and I'm betting the same is true for your mom, right?"
"R-right," Dorothy deflated a bit.
"And that means the best bet for you and for me is to make sure nobody finds Dad before the party starts," Theodore reasoned, "We can let fate pick up the slack at that point."
Dorothy hissed in frustration. Theodore was right. Her best bet was to be on his side now. Sorry Moses. Sorry Xander.
"Well then. Let's go find Dad." Dorothy growled as she gestured for Theodore to lead the way.
Jaune is Deceived by his Children
AndrewJTalon
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- - - - - -
Jaune sighed as he exited the locker room. Hot showers after a workout always made him feel better. Nora had been especially rough today-She seemed part trainer, part taskmaster, and all sadist.
Still, he could hardly argue with the results. Training with Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren had certainly gotten him up to snuff in a hurry. Suggestions from Team RWBY had also been accepted.
He winced.
Though learning hand-to-hand combat from Yang was probably something he shouldn't do too much. He still ached, days afterward.
He'd stepped out into the fresh air of the campus, a smile on his face.
He held up his Scroll, about to mass-text his friends and see if anyone was free... When someone bumped into him.
"GAH!"
Hard enough his Scroll went flying. His heart sank as he watched it fall towards the ground... Only for a small red Glyph to materialize underneath it. The Scroll vanished.
"Eh?!"
He looked around and stared. A tall, messy-haired platinum blond boy about his age, stood nearby with his Scroll in his hand. He reminded Jaune of Weiss, strangely enough, though his eyes and nose were very different. He wore a black and white coat over light Atlasian style body armor. A pair of dark sunglasses were perched on his nose.
Next to him was a very pretty blonde girl in a red and white blouse, blue jacket, and purple pants with black boots. She looked a lot like the boy around the face, though her eyes were bright green. She had a pair of goggles on the top of her head, with angel wing motifs on them. She grinned and waved at him.
"Hey D-Dude!" She said in a bright, cheerful tone.
"You dropped this," the boy stated in a cool, dispassionate voice. Jaune walked over, smiling in gratitude as he took it.
"Thanks! I really appreciate it. I'm Jaune Arc, what are your names?"
"Theodore... Schnee," the boy spoke calmly.
That might explain the iciness, Jaune thought.
"Dorothy, er... Goodwitch!" The girl greeted.
Jaune blinked.
"So, you're relatives of Weiss and Professor Goodwitch?"
"Yes/No!"
The two looked at one another, and seemed to have some kind of silent conversation. Dorothy turned back first with a slightly strained smile.
"Kind of!" She said. "We're also siblings... Kind of! It's uh... Complicated!"
Jaune slowly nodded, taking it in stride.
"If it's awkward, it's cool, you don't have to tell me," he said, "We did just meet." He smiled.
"Though my dad says strangers are friends you just haven't met yet, so... I hope we can be friends."
"Our dad says the same thing," Theodore said.
"Haha! Irony!" Dorothy said.
Jaune blinked.
"What's ironic about it-?"
"Anyway!" Dorothy said cheerfully, "You look like you don't have anything going on whatsoever!"
Jaune involuntarily winced. Theodore sucked in a deep breath.
"Er, not that that's a bad thing," Dorothy said quickly. "We uh, we'd love to train with you! If you'd like?"
"Well... Thanks, but with the Vytal Festival coming up," Jaune said, "That's not a good idea."
"We're not participating in the Vytal Festival," Theodore said calmly.
"Yeah, that would just be a... A terrible mess," Dorothy went on, still cheerfully but with a weird wince.
"We are apprentices of Hunters and are simply observing Beacon to see if we would be a good fit here," Theodore said, holding out his own Scroll. Jaune's eyebrows went up. That was a seriously nice Scroll! Lightyears better than his! Then again, the guy was a Schnee.
On the Scroll were several credentials, with pictures of both Dorothy and Theodore attached to them. Jaune frowned. Something... Seemed off here... Namely that the pictures looked like they were taken just today...
Then again, he couldn't really talk about forged credentials and paperwork, now could he? Maybe he was just being paranoid.
"We just want to train a bit with someone," Dorothy went on, "On the grounds. Away from... Everyone, ya know? At least until the party."
"Oh, you were invited?" Jaune asked.
"It's more that we want to crash it," Dorothy explained, "You know, cut loose! Have some fun! Who knows? Maybe you'll find your soulmate there?"
Jaune winked at her.
"Maybe I already have?"
The violent look of disgust and horror that appeared on both Theodore and Dorothy's faces made Jaune hold his hands up.
"Joking! Really joking! Ahem, sorry. I've uh, I'm cutting down on the flirting! Turns out I've been too aggressive."
"Uh, um, y-yeah," Dorothy said quickly, "I uh, I already have a boyfriend. Back home."
"I am single and not interested in you. At all," Theodore stated. Jaune stared.
"I was only flirting with her-"
"Just making sure," Theodore stated. "Now, are we agreed that we can simply train?"
"Sure thing," Jaune said. "It would be cool to see you teleport all of us with your Semblance!"
"Unfortunately," Theodore stated, "I can't do that with three people. Just one."
"Lame," Dorothy sneered.
"You can't fly while carrying a person either," Theodore observed.
"I-I can too! It's just very slow!" Dorothy argued.
Jaune held his hands up.
"It's cool, really. Let's just all go to a training ground nearby, and have some fun, huh?" He grinned.
"Yes, let's do that," Dorothy said, slapping a hand on Jaune's shoulder and pushing him along.
"Uh, wait, what's the rush-?"
"No rush," Theodore stated quickly, as they began marching towards the courtyard, "Just no need to waste time."
"We've wasted plenty," Dorothy groused.
Jaune shrugged. This was... Kind of weird, but hey. These two seemed cool. And strange... And familar. Strangely familiar...
- - - - - - -
Jaune sighed as he exited the locker room. Hot showers after a workout always made him feel better. Nora had been especially rough today-She seemed part trainer, part taskmaster, and all sadist.
Still, he could hardly argue with the results. Training with Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren had certainly gotten him up to snuff in a hurry. Suggestions from Team RWBY had also been accepted.
He winced.
Though learning hand-to-hand combat from Yang was probably something he shouldn't do too much. He still ached, days afterward.
He'd stepped out into the fresh air of the campus, a smile on his face.
He held up his Scroll, about to mass-text his friends and see if anyone was free... When someone bumped into him.
"GAH!"
Hard enough his Scroll went flying. His heart sank as he watched it fall towards the ground... Only for a small red Glyph to materialize underneath it. The Scroll vanished.
"Eh?!"
He looked around and stared. A tall, messy-haired platinum blond boy about his age, stood nearby with his Scroll in his hand. He reminded Jaune of Weiss, strangely enough, though his eyes and nose were very different. He wore a black and white coat over light Atlasian style body armor. A pair of dark sunglasses were perched on his nose.
Next to him was a very pretty blonde girl in a red and white blouse, blue jacket, and purple pants with black boots. She looked a lot like the boy around the face, though her eyes were bright green. She had a pair of goggles on the top of her head, with angel wing motifs on them. She grinned and waved at him.
"Hey D-Dude!" She said in a bright, cheerful tone.
"You dropped this," the boy stated in a cool, dispassionate voice. Jaune walked over, smiling in gratitude as he took it.
"Thanks! I really appreciate it. I'm Jaune Arc, what are your names?"
"Theodore... Schnee," the boy spoke calmly.
That might explain the iciness, Jaune thought.
"Dorothy, er... Goodwitch!" The girl greeted.
Jaune blinked.
"So, you're relatives of Weiss and Professor Goodwitch?"
"Yes/No!"
The two looked at one another, and seemed to have some kind of silent conversation. Dorothy turned back first with a slightly strained smile.
"Kind of!" She said. "We're also siblings... Kind of! It's uh... Complicated!"
Jaune slowly nodded, taking it in stride.
"If it's awkward, it's cool, you don't have to tell me," he said, "We did just meet." He smiled.
"Though my dad says strangers are friends you just haven't met yet, so... I hope we can be friends."
"Our dad says the same thing," Theodore said.
"Haha! Irony!" Dorothy said.
Jaune blinked.
"What's ironic about it-?"
"Anyway!" Dorothy said cheerfully, "You look like you don't have anything going on whatsoever!"
Jaune involuntarily winced. Theodore sucked in a deep breath.
"Er, not that that's a bad thing," Dorothy said quickly. "We uh, we'd love to train with you! If you'd like?"
"Well... Thanks, but with the Vytal Festival coming up," Jaune said, "That's not a good idea."
"We're not participating in the Vytal Festival," Theodore said calmly.
"Yeah, that would just be a... A terrible mess," Dorothy went on, still cheerfully but with a weird wince.
"We are apprentices of Hunters and are simply observing Beacon to see if we would be a good fit here," Theodore said, holding out his own Scroll. Jaune's eyebrows went up. That was a seriously nice Scroll! Lightyears better than his! Then again, the guy was a Schnee.
On the Scroll were several credentials, with pictures of both Dorothy and Theodore attached to them. Jaune frowned. Something... Seemed off here... Namely that the pictures looked like they were taken just today...
Then again, he couldn't really talk about forged credentials and paperwork, now could he? Maybe he was just being paranoid.
"We just want to train a bit with someone," Dorothy went on, "On the grounds. Away from... Everyone, ya know? At least until the party."
"Oh, you were invited?" Jaune asked.
"It's more that we want to crash it," Dorothy explained, "You know, cut loose! Have some fun! Who knows? Maybe you'll find your soulmate there?"
Jaune winked at her.
"Maybe I already have?"
The violent look of disgust and horror that appeared on both Theodore and Dorothy's faces made Jaune hold his hands up.
"Joking! Really joking! Ahem, sorry. I've uh, I'm cutting down on the flirting! Turns out I've been too aggressive."
"Uh, um, y-yeah," Dorothy said quickly, "I uh, I already have a boyfriend. Back home."
"I am single and not interested in you. At all," Theodore stated. Jaune stared.
"I was only flirting with her-"
"Just making sure," Theodore stated. "Now, are we agreed that we can simply train?"
"Sure thing," Jaune said. "It would be cool to see you teleport all of us with your Semblance!"
"Unfortunately," Theodore stated, "I can't do that with three people. Just one."
"Lame," Dorothy sneered.
"You can't fly while carrying a person either," Theodore observed.
"I-I can too! It's just very slow!" Dorothy argued.
Jaune held his hands up.
"It's cool, really. Let's just all go to a training ground nearby, and have some fun, huh?" He grinned.
"Yes, let's do that," Dorothy said, slapping a hand on Jaune's shoulder and pushing him along.
"Uh, wait, what's the rush-?"
"No rush," Theodore stated quickly, as they began marching towards the courtyard, "Just no need to waste time."
"We've wasted plenty," Dorothy groused.
Jaune shrugged. This was... Kind of weird, but hey. These two seemed cool. And strange... And familar. Strangely familiar...
- - - - - - -
WAR!
AndrewJTalon
Experienced.
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The doors at the north end of the courtyard slammed open with an echoing wham, drawing the eyes of everyone currently milling about on their free day. They all saw a crimson haired war goddess emerge in her finest battle raiment and a look of tightly bridled fury on her face. Following close behind her was a crimson haired man who's imposing figure was only rivaled by the intensity of his purposeful gaze. The two of them scanned the quadrangle for a face both of them knew well.
The masses collectively decided it would be a very good idea to be somewhere else, less they incur the wrath of Pyrrha Nikos on the warpath. People rushed for whatever door was closest to them, all hoping against hope that the Invincible Girl wasn't there for them specifically.
From the thinning crowds emerged two figures approaching from the opposite direction, and Pyrrha's eyes narrowed in recognition of the woman leading the pair. The chocolate skin, the almost white yellow hair, the olive-green eyes, the sacred robe worn in a manner leaving the left shoulder and arm bare while providing a voluminous sleeve for the other, and the confident stride of a woman who genuinely thought she could win this time all added up to make the Golden Lion of Haven Academy: Arslan Altan.
Pyrrha remembered Arslan very well from her days at Sanctum. The warrior nun had grabbed every opportunity to fight Pyrrha with both hands and refused to let go for any reason; the girl was convinced some kind of great rivalry existed between the two of them for reasons Pyrrha hadn't felt the need to understand at the time. Arslan was undoubtedly looking for another fight, but Pyrrha was in no mood to entertain her. Finding Jaune and getting him away from conniving strumpets that would threaten her and Jaune's future children was far more important that whatever Arslan and her companion... Wait... Oh no.
Arslan's companion had Jaune's features! Those features were severely diluted by Arslan's visage, but Pyrrha would know Jaune's nose and eye ridges anywhere! That meant that somehow, someway, Arslan had the power to take Jaune from her!
"Pyrrha Nikos!" Arslan called out to confirm her dreadful realization, "I've come to challenge you for the right to pursue Jaune Arc! Son of Nick and Isabel Arc! Father of Petra and her twelve siblings!"
TWELVE! Arslan had twelve! no... add Petra and it was THIRTEEN! Arslan had thirteen kids with Jaune! Pyrrha's eyes narrowed; she would have to boost her own numbers.
"Why!" Pyrrha called out with rage building in her heart, "You don't even know him!"
"But I do know of him," Arslan replied. "After all, how could I not take notice of the man my rival's moulding into the perfect warrior? Add in the stories Petra has told me and I know I could spend a lifetime trying to find a man more noble than him. Why shouldn't I pursue a relationship with him? See where it goes?"
"Because you're not leaving here with working legs," Pyrrha focused all of the magnetic senses Polarity provided to her on Arslan. Her foe... Her... Her Rival, had her right hand hidden in her sleeve in a bit of subterfuge Pyrrha had seen a dozen times before. Arslan would turn her dagger into its' rope dart form and use her sleeve to obscure the moment and direction she launched it. But Polarity could feel the mettle of the dart and track its' movement. This subterfuge was wasted on her.
"I figured you'd say something like that," Arslan noted before flicking her arm forward, sending the dart flying.
Or at least that's what Pyrrha's eyes saw. Polarity's magnetic senses insisted the dart was still in Arslan's hand. This disconnect almost cost Pyrrha dearly, and she almost failed to tilt her head out of the dagger/dart's path before it would have struck her in the head.
A single crimson lock fell to the ground.
With a quick tug of the rope the dart returned to Arslan's right hand, and she held it where Pyrrha could see it. The dart was a dagger made of Aura sharpened wood.
"Petra taught me a technique that lets me manipulate how the metal that naturally exists within my body interacts with magnetic scanning, letting me make the metal in my hand look like my dagger," Arslan explained with a savage grin. "Or I could make it look like there is no metal in my body at all."
Arslan took a deep breath then exhaled, and just like that she vanished from the magnetic senses Polarity provided Pyrrha, and Pyrrha felt her heart drop. How did Arslan figure out the secret of her semblance and- oh right time travel.
The Golden Lion of Haven Academy chuckled, "Let's see if your reliance on Polarity has dulled the rest of your senses!" Arslan threw her rope dart again.
Pyrrha raised her shield a second too slow, and the dart landed a solid hit on her shoulder. As Arslan pulled it back again Pyrrha remembered something of vital importance: that her very first fight with Arslan was one of the few fights where she felt like victory was in question, all because of how difficult it was to track the rope dart's unusual movements even with Polarity letting her know where the dart was at all times. She had learned a lot about tracking the movement of metal from those early fights with Arslan, but only now did Pyrrha realize she failed to learn how to track the dart with her ears and eyes.
She didn't have time to learn now, meaning she had two options if she wanted to end this fight quickly. The first was to create distance and shoot, but she knew Arslan wouldn't let her get out of the rope dart's range. That meant her best option was to charge into melee.
Pyrrha charged, and out of the corner of her eye she saw Xander charge Petra with his spear held high while Petra counter charged with a pair of wooden hook swords. Then she was within melee distance with Arslan and she couldn't spare them any of her attention.
Pyrrha's blade was a fury of motion, and Arslan deflected and parried using her wooden dagger with all the skill and finesse Pyrrha expected of her old foe, her, her Rival. Pyrrha did her best to keep Arslan on the defensive, but it didn't take long for Arslan to find the right tempo to shift Pyrrha's relentless assault into a risky back and fourth between the two of them. One moment Arslan would be on the offensive, Pyrrha the next, both of them searching for openings in the other's guard.
It galled Pyrrha to admit it, but without Polarity letting her know where Arslan's hands and feet were she was having a hard time keeping track of them. Sure Pyrrha was occasionally slipping through Arslan's guard and landing good hits, but Arslan was slipping through Pyrrha's guard just as much if not more and landing hits that were just as good. She could still win, she had to, but the fight would be over already if Arslan hadn't found a way to bypass Polarity!
Then Polarity picked up something big coming in fast from above, and Pyrrha leaped back to avoid the impact. Arslan reacted a second too slow and was sent tumbling though the air an impressive distance before she used her rope dart to arrest her momentum and land on her feet.
Pyrrha looked at the figure standing in the dust from the crater and felt her heart swell with relief and gratitude as she saw Yang step out. Her friend had seen her in need and was coming to her aid and...
...A second figure emerged. A girl with a mixture of Yang and Jaune's features. Pyrrha felt her heart twist as she realized her friend was her foe.
"Sorry P-Money," Yang drawled as she pulled her fist back, "But Mama's gotta do what Mama's gotta do."
Yang punched, and Pyrrha pulled her shield up in time to block it and the followup blast from Yang's wrist mounted shotgun. Pyrrha noted that Yang's daughter was charging Arslan, and then she turned her focus onto Yang. The blonde brawler was furious in her assault, but Pyrrha could sense her with Polarity. Every punch, every kick, every shot felt like it was telegraphed from a mile away when compared to the attacks that had been invisible to her magnetic senses.
This was much more manageable. All she had to do now was wait for Yang to overextend herself and then she could take her out of the fight with three well placed strokes and then she could-
Her magnetic senses screamed another warning, and she jumped just in time to avoid getting shot by Gambol Shroud. Blake Belladonna then swung in with twin blonde cat faunus and the three of them attacked the previously fighting pair.
The twins wasted no time lashing out at Yang with weapons that were obvious imitations of Gambol Shroud, while Blake herself was all action and no words as she engaged Pyrrha. Blake was good in a straight up sword fight, but Pyrrha was better. They both knew this, so Pyrrha prepared to charge forward the moment Blake prepared to disengage and-
A knightly young man who looked like a mixture of Jaune and a Schnee tackled Blake to the ground, while Pyrrha had to limbo-duck to avoid getting skewered by Weiss' rapier.
"WEISS!?!?" Pyrrha exclaimed as her sword crossed with the heiress' blade, "But you don't even like Jaune!"
"I'M DOING THIS BECAUSE JAUNE WILL BE AN EXCELLENT HUSBAND AND FATHER! NOT BECAUSE I LIKE HIM OKAY!"
The absolute insanity of that statement made something snap in Pyrrha's mind. Dropping all subtlety with her power she grabbed Myrtenaster with Polarity and ripped the blade out of Weiss' hand with a thought, hurling it through the air and embedding it deep within the trunk of a tree. She then backhanded the ice queen with her shield, sending the heiress tumbling head over heals through the air.
It was time to end this farce. Pyrrha stretched forth her hand with the intention to grab every weapon with Polarity and disarm all her opponents in one fell swoop-
Arslan delivered the people's elbow to the back of Pyrrha's head.
--------------------
Using her Aura sensing abilities should have made finding Jaune Arc a breeze, but May realized her mistake the instant August pushed the doors to the courtyard open.
She already knew that August's aura felt a lot like his father's, so it stood to reason that all of Jaune's kids had auras that felt like their father's. That meant the biggest concentration of Jaune feeling aura hadn't been Jaune at all, but rather a bunch of his kids in one place.
The scene before her was absolute chaos. Pyrrha and a boy that looked a lot like her were wrestling with Arslan and a girl that looks like her. Weiss had just destroyed a tree and was locked in a furious sword fight with Blake. Two young cat faunus were dueling a boy who looked like Weiss, while Yang and a girl that looked like Yang were charging towards the wrestling Pyrrha and Arslan.
"That's them?" May asked unnecessary.
"That's a lot of them," August confirmed.
May's heart sank with sorrow knowing this was the way things were going to be. Was there a way to stop this? Make everyone calm down? If there was she couldn't see it. She pulled her rifle from her back with a heavy heart and-
-the glint of a sniper's scope on a rooftop shined in the corner of her eye. A surge of adrenaline made May roll forward before a lightning dust round impacted the ground where she had been standing. Flipping back up she fired in the direction the shot had come from, already knowing that she wouldn't hit anything.
To her left August had just finished an almost identical roll and fire maneuver. May gritted her teeth with knowing that she was now in a sniper duel with Ruby Rose or possibly Ruby's kid, and that her son was in a sniper duel with whichever one wasn't shooting at her.
Now sniper duels are normally all about stealth, a nasty game of hide and seek usually won by who fired first unless someone messed up. Stealth was out of the question in this scenario, meaning this was all about mobility and the speed of the draw.
As May fired at the red clad reaper and ran along the edge of the courtyard she knew she was at a mobility disadvantage, and their were good odds she'd never hit Ruby. Fortunately, Ruby wasn't just a sniper. She was also a blender with a scythe, meaning if May could avoid getting hit for long enough Ruby would abandon the high ground to attack her in melee.
That wasn't much better, but if Ruby came down then maybe she could trick her into switching dance partners and she could sneak away and try to find Jaune again?
It was a long shot but it was better than nothing.
--------------------
Two people walking by a window overlooking the courtyard were engaged in a conversation about what flavor of jelly went best with peanut butter when the sound of gunshots caught their attention. They both looked out at the window and came to a stop at the sight before them.
"Renny," the shorter of the two started, "Is that all our friends and a bunch of strangers trying to kill each other?"
"That's what it looks like," Ren confirmed.
"Huh," Nora shrugged as she reached to open the window and pull Magnhild from behind her back.
Ren stopped her by putting his hand on her shoulder, "Maybe we should get Jaune to help out with this."
"You're right, we wouldn't want him to miss the fun!"
--------------------
As Xander rolled under the swing of Nicholas' sword and jumped over a Glyph the boy had placed as a trap he noted that while things could be going a lot better, they could also be going much worse. With a swing of his spear Xander swept Nicholas' legs out from under him, forcing the knightly boy to dismiss his Glyph lest he land in his own trap. And yet before Xander could take advantage of his opponent's prone state Yang Xiao Long was suddenly in his face tying to blast him point blank, forcing Xander to backflip away while delivering a solid kick to Yang's jaw. Yang probably would have tried to pursue him once she stopped stumbling back from the hit, but by that point Nicholas was up off the ground and Yang found herself blocking the knightly boy's sword strikes.
The whole fight was going like that. The instant someone looked like they were getting an upper hand over their opponent someone else butted in and forced the party that had been winning to disengage and look for an opportunity to reengage by stepping into someone else's fight. It was a vicious cycle that Xander wasn't seeing an easy end to anytime soon.
While this was all happening May and August were running circles around the courtyard firing at the rooftops where Ruby and Julian were also running circles around the courtyard shooting back. Then, as Xander charged Xia, May did something Xander didn't expect. The hoodie clad sniper flipped her rifle around to its' ax configuration and dove into the wild melee behind Xia. All of a sudden Xander found himself between Ruby Rose and her target, and he spun around just in time for an angry cloud of rose petals to slam into his chest.
The red reaper rematerialized as her rifle Crescent Rose shifted into its' scythe mode, which she brought down in a vicious overhead strike Xander blocked with his spear. The two of them proceeded to turn their two polearms into whirling windmills of death as they both prodded the other's defenses. They struck at the same time, but Xander used his variant of Polarity to make sure Ruby's strike was off, forcing her to step back in order to avoid a spear to the face.
"Oh, right," Ruby muttered as she flipped the switch on a hastily cobbled together add-on attached to the side of Crescent Rose where it couldn't interfere with the weapon's form changing. The add-on hummed for a second, and then Xander felt his eyes widen as the entire scythe disappeared from his magnetic senses. So that's what the weird dohicky on Julian's weapon was for.
Ruby's next strikes were much harder for Xander to parry, because while he could still sense the movements of Ruby's hands and the positioning of her footwork with his variant of Polarity knowing those things didn't tell him the length of Ruby's next strike as her hands moved up and down the grips of the now invisible to magnetism scythe. But he could do this! It was just blindfolded combat practice in reverse! He had been tapping in and out of fights with Petra and Arslan, this should be easier than that!
Yet as he tried to focus on Ruby's next swing Xander felt an enormous weapon being aimed at him from the edge of the courtyard, and he saw Ruby's eyes widen in shock. Xander rolled forward. Ruby jumped high.
Crimson energy seared through the air the two of them had occupied the moment before. Xander looked over his shoulder and saw Ash and Ashley standing in one of the courtyard's entrances, both of them armed with some extremely heavy ordinance.
Ash tossed the laser bazooka to the side and pulled out a minigun that had been modified to shoot wooden stakes, while Ashley leveled a recoilless rifle at the crowd.
"Say Hello To Our Little Friends!" The dark haired twins yelled in tandem. Then they opened fire and everyone was looking for cover.
--------------------
Jaune Arc groaned as he looked up at the sky with his back on the grass. Dorothy chuckled as she reached out a hand to help him back up.
"You got a lot closer that time," She grinned as he accepted her hand and let himself get pulled back to his feet.
"Thanks," Jaune rolled his shoulders and rubbed at a spot that was thinking about bruising, "It's always good to know you're improving."
"I have to say you're being a pretty good sport about this," Theodore observed. "Not a lot of people would put up with getting knocked around as much as you have."
"Well, I'm just happy to help," Jaune smiled, "And it's pretty obvious you guys need the practice."
"What do you mean by that?" Dorothy tilted her head in confusion.
"I can tell neither of you have been on the same team before," Jaune explained as he took a swig of water from his bottle. "If I was as fast as my friends I could have waltz through the holes in your coordination."
"He's not wrong," Theodore allowed.
"In fact, if we go again I think I can get close enough to make you pull out your weapon," Jaune boasted.
"I don't have a weapon," Theodore shrugged, "My teleportation glyphs are ideal for ranged combat, so there isn't much point in me getting close to anybody."
"What if the bad guys get close to you?" Jaune pressed.
"If they're human or faunus then I'll use my three black belts to hold them off until I can teleport away," Theodore answered as he picked up a rock. "If they're a creature of grimm or a mindless robot? I do this," He made a blue glyph and a red glyph in the air in front of him closer together than any of the glyphs Jaune had seen him make before. Apparently there was a reason for that, as the two different teleportation effects interacted with each other when they got that close, turning both glyphs purple as they visibly distorted the space between them. Theodore tossed the rock through the distorted space, reducing it to fine sand as it came out the other end. The Schnee boy then waved his hand, demonstrating that he could move the shredding distortion about according to his whims.
"That's so cool," Jaune whispered in awe. Theodore couldn't stop himself from preening at that praise.
Jaune then looked to Dorothy, "What about you? You have a weapon you haven't used yet?"
"If I'm touching it I can control it," Dorothy replied, "I usually steal other people's weapons and turn them against them or improvise with the large objects my semblance lets me pick up."
"Respectable." Jaune nodded before asking, "Why haven't you turned my sword or shield against me then?"
"Uhhh... it didn't seem fair?" Dorothy demurred.
"If you hesitate in a training environment you'll hesitate in the real world," Jaune admonished. "Let's have another go, only this time-"
The door to the training yard slammed open and the familiar voice of Nora called out: "JAUNE! PYRRHA'S GETTING GANKED! RUBY'S GETTING GANKED! WEISS IS GETTING GANKED! YANG IS GETTING GANKED! BLAKE IS GETTING GANGED! A WHOLE BUNCH OF STRANGERS ARE GETTING GANGED WITH THEM!"
"What!?! Who!?! Where!?! Why!?!" Jaune whipped around to see his teammates in the doorway.
"We don't know why," Ren explained in a voice that was somehow both calm and urgent, "But there's a big free for all fight in the Star-Maiden's Memorial Courtyard, all our friends are involved and it seems like they're all seriously trying to hurt each other."
Jaune turned to Theodore and Dorothy, "We have to go help my friends!"
Theodore and Dorothy both look as if their minds had skipped a gear and they didn't know what to do, so Jaune turned up the pressure of his best 'please help I need you' face that had always gotten his older sisters to act. Something in Theodore's eyes melted, and Dorothy seemed to choke up a bit.
"Alright," Theodore sighed, "I guess this is what we're doing now."
The five of them started running.
--------------------
Ash did his best to suppress the cackle that wanted to bubble out of his throat as he pressed down the trigger of the stake shooting minigun. Seeing the chaos unfold before him tickled a part of his psyche he didn't have before he was eight, and he always hated feeding that part of him. He and his sister were probably in for a long talk with their therapist if they managed to get home. Next to him Ashley openly giggled as she fired another round from the recoilless rifle.
As he turned the minigun to make another sweep over the yard a cloud of rose petals came down from above them, and suddenly Julian was there driving his scythe into the mechanisms of the gun and ripping it apart. Ashley tried swinging the recoilless rifle at the silver eyed boy, only for August to charge in from their left and cut the gun apart with his axe.
Without any suppressing fire the brawl resumed with Yang and Xia charging Pyrrha and Petra, Arslan charging Nicholas, Ruby charging the faunus twins and so on until everyone was engaged in a new fight except for May, who was doing her best to army crawl out of the battlefield.
With Julian and August right on them Ash and Ashley were forced to draw out their daggers and defend themselves in melee. A melee that slowly migrated into the greater fight in the center of the courtyard...
The masses collectively decided it would be a very good idea to be somewhere else, less they incur the wrath of Pyrrha Nikos on the warpath. People rushed for whatever door was closest to them, all hoping against hope that the Invincible Girl wasn't there for them specifically.
From the thinning crowds emerged two figures approaching from the opposite direction, and Pyrrha's eyes narrowed in recognition of the woman leading the pair. The chocolate skin, the almost white yellow hair, the olive-green eyes, the sacred robe worn in a manner leaving the left shoulder and arm bare while providing a voluminous sleeve for the other, and the confident stride of a woman who genuinely thought she could win this time all added up to make the Golden Lion of Haven Academy: Arslan Altan.
Pyrrha remembered Arslan very well from her days at Sanctum. The warrior nun had grabbed every opportunity to fight Pyrrha with both hands and refused to let go for any reason; the girl was convinced some kind of great rivalry existed between the two of them for reasons Pyrrha hadn't felt the need to understand at the time. Arslan was undoubtedly looking for another fight, but Pyrrha was in no mood to entertain her. Finding Jaune and getting him away from conniving strumpets that would threaten her and Jaune's future children was far more important that whatever Arslan and her companion... Wait... Oh no.
Arslan's companion had Jaune's features! Those features were severely diluted by Arslan's visage, but Pyrrha would know Jaune's nose and eye ridges anywhere! That meant that somehow, someway, Arslan had the power to take Jaune from her!
"Pyrrha Nikos!" Arslan called out to confirm her dreadful realization, "I've come to challenge you for the right to pursue Jaune Arc! Son of Nick and Isabel Arc! Father of Petra and her twelve siblings!"
TWELVE! Arslan had twelve! no... add Petra and it was THIRTEEN! Arslan had thirteen kids with Jaune! Pyrrha's eyes narrowed; she would have to boost her own numbers.
"Why!" Pyrrha called out with rage building in her heart, "You don't even know him!"
"But I do know of him," Arslan replied. "After all, how could I not take notice of the man my rival's moulding into the perfect warrior? Add in the stories Petra has told me and I know I could spend a lifetime trying to find a man more noble than him. Why shouldn't I pursue a relationship with him? See where it goes?"
"Because you're not leaving here with working legs," Pyrrha focused all of the magnetic senses Polarity provided to her on Arslan. Her foe... Her... Her Rival, had her right hand hidden in her sleeve in a bit of subterfuge Pyrrha had seen a dozen times before. Arslan would turn her dagger into its' rope dart form and use her sleeve to obscure the moment and direction she launched it. But Polarity could feel the mettle of the dart and track its' movement. This subterfuge was wasted on her.
"I figured you'd say something like that," Arslan noted before flicking her arm forward, sending the dart flying.
Or at least that's what Pyrrha's eyes saw. Polarity's magnetic senses insisted the dart was still in Arslan's hand. This disconnect almost cost Pyrrha dearly, and she almost failed to tilt her head out of the dagger/dart's path before it would have struck her in the head.
A single crimson lock fell to the ground.
With a quick tug of the rope the dart returned to Arslan's right hand, and she held it where Pyrrha could see it. The dart was a dagger made of Aura sharpened wood.
"Petra taught me a technique that lets me manipulate how the metal that naturally exists within my body interacts with magnetic scanning, letting me make the metal in my hand look like my dagger," Arslan explained with a savage grin. "Or I could make it look like there is no metal in my body at all."
Arslan took a deep breath then exhaled, and just like that she vanished from the magnetic senses Polarity provided Pyrrha, and Pyrrha felt her heart drop. How did Arslan figure out the secret of her semblance and- oh right time travel.
The Golden Lion of Haven Academy chuckled, "Let's see if your reliance on Polarity has dulled the rest of your senses!" Arslan threw her rope dart again.
Pyrrha raised her shield a second too slow, and the dart landed a solid hit on her shoulder. As Arslan pulled it back again Pyrrha remembered something of vital importance: that her very first fight with Arslan was one of the few fights where she felt like victory was in question, all because of how difficult it was to track the rope dart's unusual movements even with Polarity letting her know where the dart was at all times. She had learned a lot about tracking the movement of metal from those early fights with Arslan, but only now did Pyrrha realize she failed to learn how to track the dart with her ears and eyes.
She didn't have time to learn now, meaning she had two options if she wanted to end this fight quickly. The first was to create distance and shoot, but she knew Arslan wouldn't let her get out of the rope dart's range. That meant her best option was to charge into melee.
Pyrrha charged, and out of the corner of her eye she saw Xander charge Petra with his spear held high while Petra counter charged with a pair of wooden hook swords. Then she was within melee distance with Arslan and she couldn't spare them any of her attention.
Pyrrha's blade was a fury of motion, and Arslan deflected and parried using her wooden dagger with all the skill and finesse Pyrrha expected of her old foe, her, her Rival. Pyrrha did her best to keep Arslan on the defensive, but it didn't take long for Arslan to find the right tempo to shift Pyrrha's relentless assault into a risky back and fourth between the two of them. One moment Arslan would be on the offensive, Pyrrha the next, both of them searching for openings in the other's guard.
It galled Pyrrha to admit it, but without Polarity letting her know where Arslan's hands and feet were she was having a hard time keeping track of them. Sure Pyrrha was occasionally slipping through Arslan's guard and landing good hits, but Arslan was slipping through Pyrrha's guard just as much if not more and landing hits that were just as good. She could still win, she had to, but the fight would be over already if Arslan hadn't found a way to bypass Polarity!
Then Polarity picked up something big coming in fast from above, and Pyrrha leaped back to avoid the impact. Arslan reacted a second too slow and was sent tumbling though the air an impressive distance before she used her rope dart to arrest her momentum and land on her feet.
Pyrrha looked at the figure standing in the dust from the crater and felt her heart swell with relief and gratitude as she saw Yang step out. Her friend had seen her in need and was coming to her aid and...
...A second figure emerged. A girl with a mixture of Yang and Jaune's features. Pyrrha felt her heart twist as she realized her friend was her foe.
"Sorry P-Money," Yang drawled as she pulled her fist back, "But Mama's gotta do what Mama's gotta do."
Yang punched, and Pyrrha pulled her shield up in time to block it and the followup blast from Yang's wrist mounted shotgun. Pyrrha noted that Yang's daughter was charging Arslan, and then she turned her focus onto Yang. The blonde brawler was furious in her assault, but Pyrrha could sense her with Polarity. Every punch, every kick, every shot felt like it was telegraphed from a mile away when compared to the attacks that had been invisible to her magnetic senses.
This was much more manageable. All she had to do now was wait for Yang to overextend herself and then she could take her out of the fight with three well placed strokes and then she could-
Her magnetic senses screamed another warning, and she jumped just in time to avoid getting shot by Gambol Shroud. Blake Belladonna then swung in with twin blonde cat faunus and the three of them attacked the previously fighting pair.
The twins wasted no time lashing out at Yang with weapons that were obvious imitations of Gambol Shroud, while Blake herself was all action and no words as she engaged Pyrrha. Blake was good in a straight up sword fight, but Pyrrha was better. They both knew this, so Pyrrha prepared to charge forward the moment Blake prepared to disengage and-
A knightly young man who looked like a mixture of Jaune and a Schnee tackled Blake to the ground, while Pyrrha had to limbo-duck to avoid getting skewered by Weiss' rapier.
"WEISS!?!?" Pyrrha exclaimed as her sword crossed with the heiress' blade, "But you don't even like Jaune!"
"I'M DOING THIS BECAUSE JAUNE WILL BE AN EXCELLENT HUSBAND AND FATHER! NOT BECAUSE I LIKE HIM OKAY!"
The absolute insanity of that statement made something snap in Pyrrha's mind. Dropping all subtlety with her power she grabbed Myrtenaster with Polarity and ripped the blade out of Weiss' hand with a thought, hurling it through the air and embedding it deep within the trunk of a tree. She then backhanded the ice queen with her shield, sending the heiress tumbling head over heals through the air.
It was time to end this farce. Pyrrha stretched forth her hand with the intention to grab every weapon with Polarity and disarm all her opponents in one fell swoop-
Arslan delivered the people's elbow to the back of Pyrrha's head.
--------------------
Using her Aura sensing abilities should have made finding Jaune Arc a breeze, but May realized her mistake the instant August pushed the doors to the courtyard open.
She already knew that August's aura felt a lot like his father's, so it stood to reason that all of Jaune's kids had auras that felt like their father's. That meant the biggest concentration of Jaune feeling aura hadn't been Jaune at all, but rather a bunch of his kids in one place.
The scene before her was absolute chaos. Pyrrha and a boy that looked a lot like her were wrestling with Arslan and a girl that looks like her. Weiss had just destroyed a tree and was locked in a furious sword fight with Blake. Two young cat faunus were dueling a boy who looked like Weiss, while Yang and a girl that looked like Yang were charging towards the wrestling Pyrrha and Arslan.
"That's them?" May asked unnecessary.
"That's a lot of them," August confirmed.
May's heart sank with sorrow knowing this was the way things were going to be. Was there a way to stop this? Make everyone calm down? If there was she couldn't see it. She pulled her rifle from her back with a heavy heart and-
-the glint of a sniper's scope on a rooftop shined in the corner of her eye. A surge of adrenaline made May roll forward before a lightning dust round impacted the ground where she had been standing. Flipping back up she fired in the direction the shot had come from, already knowing that she wouldn't hit anything.
To her left August had just finished an almost identical roll and fire maneuver. May gritted her teeth with knowing that she was now in a sniper duel with Ruby Rose or possibly Ruby's kid, and that her son was in a sniper duel with whichever one wasn't shooting at her.
Now sniper duels are normally all about stealth, a nasty game of hide and seek usually won by who fired first unless someone messed up. Stealth was out of the question in this scenario, meaning this was all about mobility and the speed of the draw.
As May fired at the red clad reaper and ran along the edge of the courtyard she knew she was at a mobility disadvantage, and their were good odds she'd never hit Ruby. Fortunately, Ruby wasn't just a sniper. She was also a blender with a scythe, meaning if May could avoid getting hit for long enough Ruby would abandon the high ground to attack her in melee.
That wasn't much better, but if Ruby came down then maybe she could trick her into switching dance partners and she could sneak away and try to find Jaune again?
It was a long shot but it was better than nothing.
--------------------
Two people walking by a window overlooking the courtyard were engaged in a conversation about what flavor of jelly went best with peanut butter when the sound of gunshots caught their attention. They both looked out at the window and came to a stop at the sight before them.
"Renny," the shorter of the two started, "Is that all our friends and a bunch of strangers trying to kill each other?"
"That's what it looks like," Ren confirmed.
"Huh," Nora shrugged as she reached to open the window and pull Magnhild from behind her back.
Ren stopped her by putting his hand on her shoulder, "Maybe we should get Jaune to help out with this."
"You're right, we wouldn't want him to miss the fun!"
--------------------
As Xander rolled under the swing of Nicholas' sword and jumped over a Glyph the boy had placed as a trap he noted that while things could be going a lot better, they could also be going much worse. With a swing of his spear Xander swept Nicholas' legs out from under him, forcing the knightly boy to dismiss his Glyph lest he land in his own trap. And yet before Xander could take advantage of his opponent's prone state Yang Xiao Long was suddenly in his face tying to blast him point blank, forcing Xander to backflip away while delivering a solid kick to Yang's jaw. Yang probably would have tried to pursue him once she stopped stumbling back from the hit, but by that point Nicholas was up off the ground and Yang found herself blocking the knightly boy's sword strikes.
The whole fight was going like that. The instant someone looked like they were getting an upper hand over their opponent someone else butted in and forced the party that had been winning to disengage and look for an opportunity to reengage by stepping into someone else's fight. It was a vicious cycle that Xander wasn't seeing an easy end to anytime soon.
While this was all happening May and August were running circles around the courtyard firing at the rooftops where Ruby and Julian were also running circles around the courtyard shooting back. Then, as Xander charged Xia, May did something Xander didn't expect. The hoodie clad sniper flipped her rifle around to its' ax configuration and dove into the wild melee behind Xia. All of a sudden Xander found himself between Ruby Rose and her target, and he spun around just in time for an angry cloud of rose petals to slam into his chest.
The red reaper rematerialized as her rifle Crescent Rose shifted into its' scythe mode, which she brought down in a vicious overhead strike Xander blocked with his spear. The two of them proceeded to turn their two polearms into whirling windmills of death as they both prodded the other's defenses. They struck at the same time, but Xander used his variant of Polarity to make sure Ruby's strike was off, forcing her to step back in order to avoid a spear to the face.
"Oh, right," Ruby muttered as she flipped the switch on a hastily cobbled together add-on attached to the side of Crescent Rose where it couldn't interfere with the weapon's form changing. The add-on hummed for a second, and then Xander felt his eyes widen as the entire scythe disappeared from his magnetic senses. So that's what the weird dohicky on Julian's weapon was for.
Ruby's next strikes were much harder for Xander to parry, because while he could still sense the movements of Ruby's hands and the positioning of her footwork with his variant of Polarity knowing those things didn't tell him the length of Ruby's next strike as her hands moved up and down the grips of the now invisible to magnetism scythe. But he could do this! It was just blindfolded combat practice in reverse! He had been tapping in and out of fights with Petra and Arslan, this should be easier than that!
Yet as he tried to focus on Ruby's next swing Xander felt an enormous weapon being aimed at him from the edge of the courtyard, and he saw Ruby's eyes widen in shock. Xander rolled forward. Ruby jumped high.
Crimson energy seared through the air the two of them had occupied the moment before. Xander looked over his shoulder and saw Ash and Ashley standing in one of the courtyard's entrances, both of them armed with some extremely heavy ordinance.
Ash tossed the laser bazooka to the side and pulled out a minigun that had been modified to shoot wooden stakes, while Ashley leveled a recoilless rifle at the crowd.
"Say Hello To Our Little Friends!" The dark haired twins yelled in tandem. Then they opened fire and everyone was looking for cover.
--------------------
Jaune Arc groaned as he looked up at the sky with his back on the grass. Dorothy chuckled as she reached out a hand to help him back up.
"You got a lot closer that time," She grinned as he accepted her hand and let himself get pulled back to his feet.
"Thanks," Jaune rolled his shoulders and rubbed at a spot that was thinking about bruising, "It's always good to know you're improving."
"I have to say you're being a pretty good sport about this," Theodore observed. "Not a lot of people would put up with getting knocked around as much as you have."
"Well, I'm just happy to help," Jaune smiled, "And it's pretty obvious you guys need the practice."
"What do you mean by that?" Dorothy tilted her head in confusion.
"I can tell neither of you have been on the same team before," Jaune explained as he took a swig of water from his bottle. "If I was as fast as my friends I could have waltz through the holes in your coordination."
"He's not wrong," Theodore allowed.
"In fact, if we go again I think I can get close enough to make you pull out your weapon," Jaune boasted.
"I don't have a weapon," Theodore shrugged, "My teleportation glyphs are ideal for ranged combat, so there isn't much point in me getting close to anybody."
"What if the bad guys get close to you?" Jaune pressed.
"If they're human or faunus then I'll use my three black belts to hold them off until I can teleport away," Theodore answered as he picked up a rock. "If they're a creature of grimm or a mindless robot? I do this," He made a blue glyph and a red glyph in the air in front of him closer together than any of the glyphs Jaune had seen him make before. Apparently there was a reason for that, as the two different teleportation effects interacted with each other when they got that close, turning both glyphs purple as they visibly distorted the space between them. Theodore tossed the rock through the distorted space, reducing it to fine sand as it came out the other end. The Schnee boy then waved his hand, demonstrating that he could move the shredding distortion about according to his whims.
"That's so cool," Jaune whispered in awe. Theodore couldn't stop himself from preening at that praise.
Jaune then looked to Dorothy, "What about you? You have a weapon you haven't used yet?"
"If I'm touching it I can control it," Dorothy replied, "I usually steal other people's weapons and turn them against them or improvise with the large objects my semblance lets me pick up."
"Respectable." Jaune nodded before asking, "Why haven't you turned my sword or shield against me then?"
"Uhhh... it didn't seem fair?" Dorothy demurred.
"If you hesitate in a training environment you'll hesitate in the real world," Jaune admonished. "Let's have another go, only this time-"
The door to the training yard slammed open and the familiar voice of Nora called out: "JAUNE! PYRRHA'S GETTING GANKED! RUBY'S GETTING GANKED! WEISS IS GETTING GANKED! YANG IS GETTING GANKED! BLAKE IS GETTING GANGED! A WHOLE BUNCH OF STRANGERS ARE GETTING GANGED WITH THEM!"
"What!?! Who!?! Where!?! Why!?!" Jaune whipped around to see his teammates in the doorway.
"We don't know why," Ren explained in a voice that was somehow both calm and urgent, "But there's a big free for all fight in the Star-Maiden's Memorial Courtyard, all our friends are involved and it seems like they're all seriously trying to hurt each other."
Jaune turned to Theodore and Dorothy, "We have to go help my friends!"
Theodore and Dorothy both look as if their minds had skipped a gear and they didn't know what to do, so Jaune turned up the pressure of his best 'please help I need you' face that had always gotten his older sisters to act. Something in Theodore's eyes melted, and Dorothy seemed to choke up a bit.
"Alright," Theodore sighed, "I guess this is what we're doing now."
The five of them started running.
--------------------
Ash did his best to suppress the cackle that wanted to bubble out of his throat as he pressed down the trigger of the stake shooting minigun. Seeing the chaos unfold before him tickled a part of his psyche he didn't have before he was eight, and he always hated feeding that part of him. He and his sister were probably in for a long talk with their therapist if they managed to get home. Next to him Ashley openly giggled as she fired another round from the recoilless rifle.
As he turned the minigun to make another sweep over the yard a cloud of rose petals came down from above them, and suddenly Julian was there driving his scythe into the mechanisms of the gun and ripping it apart. Ashley tried swinging the recoilless rifle at the silver eyed boy, only for August to charge in from their left and cut the gun apart with his axe.
Without any suppressing fire the brawl resumed with Yang and Xia charging Pyrrha and Petra, Arslan charging Nicholas, Ruby charging the faunus twins and so on until everyone was engaged in a new fight except for May, who was doing her best to army crawl out of the battlefield.
With Julian and August right on them Ash and Ashley were forced to draw out their daggers and defend themselves in melee. A melee that slowly migrated into the greater fight in the center of the courtyard...
WAR! 2
AndrewJTalon
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Humans were never meant to be creatures of instinctual habit, as evidenced by the fact that the instinctual human response in unexpected or high stress situations is usually the wrong one. Take a person who grew up in a place where it never snowed and make them walk on a sheet of ice and you will instantly see this in action; as that person will instinctively want to lock up their legs in a stiff position for stability, thereby making slipping and falling an inevitability.
In mildly bad weather the wrong instinctive response can be funny, hilarious even. In a genuine emergency the wrong instinctive response can be fatal.
And so the vast majority of training regiments are designed to break people of their bad instinctive responses. Even your most basic fire/evacuation drills are meant to break a bad instinctive response, for panicking people relying on instinct will almost always exit a building the same way they came in; even if the way they came in is the farthest exit possible.
For example, consider the current predicament of Emerald Sustrai; her daughter slung over her shoulders as she runs from the literal raging inferno known as Cinder Fall. To say Emerald was acting more out of instinct than than rational thought at the present moment was an accurate assessment, the panic caused by Cinder's unexpected flip to homicidal hostility had not had a single moment to subside as a result of the false maiden's relentless pursuit and unceasing attacks. Shards of molten glass and gouts of flame shot past the dark skinned girl that she expertly dodged, showing that practical combat experience had broken all of those bad instincts and replaced them with better ones, and yet the path she was taking showed she hadn't done that many evacuation drills.
The rational part of her mind still working through the panic realized the best bet for survival for her and her daughter was to get to a wide open space with more room to maneuver. Her mind's eye pictured a courtyard she had visited several times the previous week. A courtyard on the other side of Beacon's campus. Emerald wove a winding path through the school, charging through halls and empty classrooms, up a flight of stairs and down another, zigging and zagging trough locker rooms and public spaces with Cinder leaving a trail of burning destruction and activated fire sprinklers in their mutual wake.
Throughout this chase Emerald had passed over twenty open windows she could have easily jumped through, six doors that were already open and leading outside, fifty doors she could have easily kicked open and passed through before Cinder could have caught up and one hole in the wall that hadn't been fixed from some aura enhanced rough housing the day before. In other words it was a miracle that Emerald reached the doors of the Star-Maiden's Memorial Courtyard without her and her daughter being reduced to ash by Cinder's blind fury.
Emerald kicked the doors open to see a scene of battle before her.
She ran out and into it, for hellfire and death was behind her baying for her blood and calling her a hoe.
--------------------
Jaune Arc pushed open the doors leading out into the Star-Maiden's Memorial Courtyard and stepped out into the sunlight with Crocea Mors drawn and its' shield deployed. To his right Nora and Theodore stepped out with battle ready looks on their faces, on his left Ren and Dorothy stretched their arms in preparation for a coming fight.
Scanning the battlefield Jaune took note of Pyrrha, Weiss and Blake locked in a three-way sword fight, Yang and a Girl that looked a lot like Yang trying to wrestle a spear out of the hands of a guy who kinda looked like Pyrrha. Ruby was dodging a rope dart being thrown by Arslan Altan, while a silver-eyed boy swung his scythe at a pair of blond cat faunus. That Emerald girl had another girl slung over her shoulder and she was being chased by her team leader Cinder, who was yelling things that would have made Mama Arc bust out a bar of soap to wash her mouth. That was all he was able to take in before he felt someone grab his right pant leg.
"May!?!" Jaune cried out in surprise as he looked down and saw the sniper from Shade Academy who had apparently been army crawling towards this specific door.
"Jaune? Oh thank god," May cried out in relief as she got up off the ground with some help from the blonde swordsman.
"May, what's going on?" Jaune asked.
"Time travel," May replied in a shaky voice, "Everyone out there you don't recognize is a kid of yours from the future trying to make sure you can only marry their mom."
"Say what?" The words came out of Jaune's mouth as it felt like his mind was slowing down and speeding up at the same time. The part that was speeding up quickly made the connection that if the strangers were his kids then their mothers would be the people he knew that they looked like. The part that was slowing down was counting girls and added thing up to nine, and that didn't seem right. He couldn't even get the one girl he had tried asking out to like him! And yet here she was with eight other girls seriously attempting bodily harm to one another to keep the other girls from marrying him.
The math wasn't lining up even though he couldn't add things up any other way.
"I hoped we'd be able to talk things out," May carried on in a desperate tone, "But when I got here everyone was already fighting, and I was getting shot at before I could even get a word in! Now that you're here maybe we can find a way to talk things out and-" May noticed something out of the corner of her eye, and her face shifted into a snarl before she shrieked; "YOU CAN'T TOUCH MY BABY LIKE THAT!" And with that she charged into the fray axe held high.
Jaune staggered back, with Nora and Ren placing a steadying hands on his shoulders. Even though his mind was racing in circles he could still here Ren ask Theodore and Dorothy a question:
"Are either of you time traveling kids of Jaune?"
Dorothy chuckled nervously, and that was all the confirmation the speeding up portion of Jaune's mind needed to know she was, bringing the number of mothers up to ten. Yet Dorothy had said her last name was Goodwitch. Goodwitch! That didn't add up at all!
Back in the battle Pyrrha grabbed Weiss' rapier for a second time with Polarity, and sent it flying before punching the heiress away. Theodore stretched out his hand and caught the blade with one of his glyphs, teleporting it into his hand. An incredulous look crossed the his face as he looked over to where Weiss had landed. He then stormed forward, eyes twitching while yelling, "Aunt Weiss! What! The! Hell! Do! You! Think! You! Are! Doing! Your Semblance Is Best Used At Range! You Are A MAGE That Can Stab Things That GET TOO Close! Key Words: GET TOO! WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO ENGAGE THE WORLD'S BEST SWORDSWOMAN IN A MELEE FIGHT IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO?!?!?"
Theodore called Weiss his Aunt, the part of Jaune's mind that was keeping count added the mothers up to eleven. The other part that was keeping count realized the Aunt part meant Theodore's mother was Weiss' sister Winter. Another thing that didn't add up.
Math was breaking. Jaune turned his head to look at Dorothy as if she could give some kind of answer that would clarify things.
"Umm... Well..." Dorothy wilted under his gaze, "You see Dad... I thought... We thought... My friend had a plan that fell apart pretty quickly and we needed to do something... and it was... Ah, Screw it! HEY PETRA! YOU AND ME ARE FIGHTING NOW!" Dorothy flew into the fight.
"Well, I know who I'm rooting for!" Nora grinned as she pulled Magnhild out from behind her back and started launching grenades into the scrummage. "YOU CAN DO THIS PYRRHA! WHOOHOOO!" She yelled.
One of the grenades hit a silver eyed boy who could only be Ruby's kid while he was activating his semblance, knocking him off course and sending him hurtling off into the distance. The two cat faunus who could only be Blake's had somehow procured a large amount of rope and had somehow pinned Yang to the ground long enough to tie her up. Yang's daughter and Ruby apparently reached some kind of nonverbal accord and charged the two cat faunus as they hoisted Yang into the air and ran off with her. Cinder continued to yell fire while spiting fire as she tried to burn Emerald and Emerald's daughter to a crisp. Theodore kept yelling at Weiss for her terrible tactics.
Jaune knew he couldn't stand their and do nothing, but what could he do? And so he asked, "Ren, as the brother I've never had, do you have any brotherly advice to give me?"
"Uhhhh..." Ren's grip on Jaune's shoulder tightened, "Maybe we could... No... Perhaps we could..." Ren facepalmed, "No that's a terrible idea."
And so the battle raged on as two young men grappled with the age old question: How do you talk down a bunch of girls going full crazy?
In mildly bad weather the wrong instinctive response can be funny, hilarious even. In a genuine emergency the wrong instinctive response can be fatal.
And so the vast majority of training regiments are designed to break people of their bad instinctive responses. Even your most basic fire/evacuation drills are meant to break a bad instinctive response, for panicking people relying on instinct will almost always exit a building the same way they came in; even if the way they came in is the farthest exit possible.
For example, consider the current predicament of Emerald Sustrai; her daughter slung over her shoulders as she runs from the literal raging inferno known as Cinder Fall. To say Emerald was acting more out of instinct than than rational thought at the present moment was an accurate assessment, the panic caused by Cinder's unexpected flip to homicidal hostility had not had a single moment to subside as a result of the false maiden's relentless pursuit and unceasing attacks. Shards of molten glass and gouts of flame shot past the dark skinned girl that she expertly dodged, showing that practical combat experience had broken all of those bad instincts and replaced them with better ones, and yet the path she was taking showed she hadn't done that many evacuation drills.
The rational part of her mind still working through the panic realized the best bet for survival for her and her daughter was to get to a wide open space with more room to maneuver. Her mind's eye pictured a courtyard she had visited several times the previous week. A courtyard on the other side of Beacon's campus. Emerald wove a winding path through the school, charging through halls and empty classrooms, up a flight of stairs and down another, zigging and zagging trough locker rooms and public spaces with Cinder leaving a trail of burning destruction and activated fire sprinklers in their mutual wake.
Throughout this chase Emerald had passed over twenty open windows she could have easily jumped through, six doors that were already open and leading outside, fifty doors she could have easily kicked open and passed through before Cinder could have caught up and one hole in the wall that hadn't been fixed from some aura enhanced rough housing the day before. In other words it was a miracle that Emerald reached the doors of the Star-Maiden's Memorial Courtyard without her and her daughter being reduced to ash by Cinder's blind fury.
Emerald kicked the doors open to see a scene of battle before her.
She ran out and into it, for hellfire and death was behind her baying for her blood and calling her a hoe.
--------------------
Jaune Arc pushed open the doors leading out into the Star-Maiden's Memorial Courtyard and stepped out into the sunlight with Crocea Mors drawn and its' shield deployed. To his right Nora and Theodore stepped out with battle ready looks on their faces, on his left Ren and Dorothy stretched their arms in preparation for a coming fight.
Scanning the battlefield Jaune took note of Pyrrha, Weiss and Blake locked in a three-way sword fight, Yang and a Girl that looked a lot like Yang trying to wrestle a spear out of the hands of a guy who kinda looked like Pyrrha. Ruby was dodging a rope dart being thrown by Arslan Altan, while a silver-eyed boy swung his scythe at a pair of blond cat faunus. That Emerald girl had another girl slung over her shoulder and she was being chased by her team leader Cinder, who was yelling things that would have made Mama Arc bust out a bar of soap to wash her mouth. That was all he was able to take in before he felt someone grab his right pant leg.
"May!?!" Jaune cried out in surprise as he looked down and saw the sniper from Shade Academy who had apparently been army crawling towards this specific door.
"Jaune? Oh thank god," May cried out in relief as she got up off the ground with some help from the blonde swordsman.
"May, what's going on?" Jaune asked.
"Time travel," May replied in a shaky voice, "Everyone out there you don't recognize is a kid of yours from the future trying to make sure you can only marry their mom."
"Say what?" The words came out of Jaune's mouth as it felt like his mind was slowing down and speeding up at the same time. The part that was speeding up quickly made the connection that if the strangers were his kids then their mothers would be the people he knew that they looked like. The part that was slowing down was counting girls and added thing up to nine, and that didn't seem right. He couldn't even get the one girl he had tried asking out to like him! And yet here she was with eight other girls seriously attempting bodily harm to one another to keep the other girls from marrying him.
The math wasn't lining up even though he couldn't add things up any other way.
"I hoped we'd be able to talk things out," May carried on in a desperate tone, "But when I got here everyone was already fighting, and I was getting shot at before I could even get a word in! Now that you're here maybe we can find a way to talk things out and-" May noticed something out of the corner of her eye, and her face shifted into a snarl before she shrieked; "YOU CAN'T TOUCH MY BABY LIKE THAT!" And with that she charged into the fray axe held high.
Jaune staggered back, with Nora and Ren placing a steadying hands on his shoulders. Even though his mind was racing in circles he could still here Ren ask Theodore and Dorothy a question:
"Are either of you time traveling kids of Jaune?"
Dorothy chuckled nervously, and that was all the confirmation the speeding up portion of Jaune's mind needed to know she was, bringing the number of mothers up to ten. Yet Dorothy had said her last name was Goodwitch. Goodwitch! That didn't add up at all!
Back in the battle Pyrrha grabbed Weiss' rapier for a second time with Polarity, and sent it flying before punching the heiress away. Theodore stretched out his hand and caught the blade with one of his glyphs, teleporting it into his hand. An incredulous look crossed the his face as he looked over to where Weiss had landed. He then stormed forward, eyes twitching while yelling, "Aunt Weiss! What! The! Hell! Do! You! Think! You! Are! Doing! Your Semblance Is Best Used At Range! You Are A MAGE That Can Stab Things That GET TOO Close! Key Words: GET TOO! WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO ENGAGE THE WORLD'S BEST SWORDSWOMAN IN A MELEE FIGHT IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO?!?!?"
Theodore called Weiss his Aunt, the part of Jaune's mind that was keeping count added the mothers up to eleven. The other part that was keeping count realized the Aunt part meant Theodore's mother was Weiss' sister Winter. Another thing that didn't add up.
Math was breaking. Jaune turned his head to look at Dorothy as if she could give some kind of answer that would clarify things.
"Umm... Well..." Dorothy wilted under his gaze, "You see Dad... I thought... We thought... My friend had a plan that fell apart pretty quickly and we needed to do something... and it was... Ah, Screw it! HEY PETRA! YOU AND ME ARE FIGHTING NOW!" Dorothy flew into the fight.
"Well, I know who I'm rooting for!" Nora grinned as she pulled Magnhild out from behind her back and started launching grenades into the scrummage. "YOU CAN DO THIS PYRRHA! WHOOHOOO!" She yelled.
One of the grenades hit a silver eyed boy who could only be Ruby's kid while he was activating his semblance, knocking him off course and sending him hurtling off into the distance. The two cat faunus who could only be Blake's had somehow procured a large amount of rope and had somehow pinned Yang to the ground long enough to tie her up. Yang's daughter and Ruby apparently reached some kind of nonverbal accord and charged the two cat faunus as they hoisted Yang into the air and ran off with her. Cinder continued to yell fire while spiting fire as she tried to burn Emerald and Emerald's daughter to a crisp. Theodore kept yelling at Weiss for her terrible tactics.
Jaune knew he couldn't stand their and do nothing, but what could he do? And so he asked, "Ren, as the brother I've never had, do you have any brotherly advice to give me?"
"Uhhhh..." Ren's grip on Jaune's shoulder tightened, "Maybe we could... No... Perhaps we could..." Ren facepalmed, "No that's a terrible idea."
And so the battle raged on as two young men grappled with the age old question: How do you talk down a bunch of girls going full crazy?
WAR! 3
AndrewJTalon
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The term Nurses Office normally invokes the image of a quaint little room off to the side of a major hallway where with a handful of beds where a sick child can wait for their parents to swing by and pick them up for a trip to the family doctor's practice or a hospital. The Nurses Office of Beacon Academy didn't match that description.
Beacon's Nurses Office was a full blown medical wing packed full with state of the art medical equipment, a suite of high end examination and operating rooms, and enough beds to hold all the students and faculty that would be on campus during a normal semester of school. As such it was only called the Nurses Office in the common vernacular of students and faculty because of the way it was normally staffed: five nurses guarding the medical cabinets to make sure nobody tried to swipe the opioids and other such drugs for recreational purposes.
Now Beacon did have a full blown doctor on hand at all times, but she spent most of her days in a classroom the next hall over teaching students first aid and field medicine.
Now the reasons for such extensive facilities with such a small medical staff were multi faceted. For one thing virtually everyone on school grounds had their Aura unlocked, as such any minor injury would resolve itself fairly quickly and any injury worth getting additional medical attention for would require the state of the art surgical rooms. In other words it was logistically easier to have a miniature hospital on school grounds and fly additional medical staff in as needed than it was to fly critically injured students into a hospital in the city.
Now medical emergencies like that didn't happen every day, once again because everyone on campus has an unlocked aura, so when Ozpin brought Moses down from his office to deal with the boy's growing migraine he expected to have the full attention of the nurses on duty. That was not the case.
Three of the nurses were fussing over a rather resined looking Mercury Black. A pair of prosthetic legs sat on the table beside them, one of them noticeably melted, and the nurses were debating about how salvageable the mounting points on Mercury's legs actually were. Ozpin supposed the young man got caught up in whatever mess that was causing his team leader to chase their teammate Emerald around the courtyard.
The other two nurses were giving Sun Wokong and an attractive young woman (a chameleon faunus if the way her skin colors kept changing meant anything) an in depth lecture/demonstration of all the ways you could tie someone up without restricting blood flow or causing any other long term injuries. They were also making the two practice, having Sun tie-up and untie the chameleon woman again and again until his knots met their professional standards.
It always made Ozpin glad to see students take their education seriously: the ability to properly restrain a recently captured foe when aura suppressing cuffs weren't available was an incredibly useful skill for a Huntsman or Huntress to have. Ozpin mentally commended Sun for taking the initiative to learn these skills on his own. Though perhaps it should be made a proper class next year. An elective perhaps? Thoughts for later.
Not wanting to distract the nurses from their work Ozpin simply lead Moses to an available bed and attended to the lad himself.
"Do you have any medical allergies?" The old wizard asked as he examined the over the counter pain medications stored near the bed.
"Nah," Moses muttered, "I don't."
"Then take two of these, and if things don't get better within an hour you can take two more," Ozpin instructed as he selected a bottle of pills and filled a glass with cold water, "but don't take more than six."
Moses took the recommended dosage and drank all the water in three long gulps. The boy then fell back into the bed with his eyes scrunched shut.
"Now my recommendation is for you to try and sleep through the worst of this headache," Ozpin said as he pulled a piece of equipment from behind the bed's headrest. "Now I'm going to place this headband on you, it will monitor your brain activity and get the attention of the nurses if anything alarming happens, alright?" Moses allowed him to place the headband, and Ozpin wrote a note explaining what the nurses needed to know about Moses.
With the note written and placed where the nurses would find it when they turned their attention to the boy Ozpin quickly glanced around the room to see what everyone was doing. The nurses on duty were still focused on what they were doing before he came into the room, and Moses seemed pretty out of sorts. That meant he was free to flex a mystical muscle or two without real scrutiny.
Ozpin ran two of his fingers over Moses' forehead, muttering words in a language that had died the day Salem spat in the face of the Gods: a simple cantrip to help ease the mind into pleasant dreams. As Ozpin felt the spell take root in Moses' mind he turned to leave, only to hear Moses whisper two words in that dead language:
"Thanks Dad."
If a wizard trips over his own two feet, but nobody noticed, did he actually trip over himself?
On most days Ozpin is honest enough with himself to admit the answer is yes.
--------------------
Finding a few seconds respite, Ash activated a switch on the side of his dagger, making it shift in size to the length and girth of a proper longsword. The new length added to the blade made it easier for him to force Petra to keep her distance, as his weapon now had superior reach when compared to her wooden hook sword. If the girl had still had two of them then perhaps the reach advantage wouldn't have mattered as much, but Petra had lost one of her blades to Dorothy a couple of exchanges ago.
And yet as Ash tried to press his newfound advantage Nicholas was suddenly between them using his glyphs as shields that blasted both of them back when their swords made contact. And with that Petra was now fighting Nicholas, while Ash suddenly found himself fighting Leander while Ashly grappled with Leandra right next to them.
How many times had he switched opponents now? Six? Seven? More? He knew he hadn't crossed blades with everyone here, but it sure felt like it.
At this point it was clear that Ashley's long shot plan was toast. It kind of hinged on their Dad getting to know their Mom under conditions where both of them could be vulnerable, hence the need to get everyone else out of the way. But now their Mom was here chasing Auntie Em around like a rabid dog and screaming expletives like a raving lunatic in front of Dad, and it was hard to imagine Dad letting his guard down after seeing that.
Ash jumped over Leander and kicked behind himself while Ashley performed a similar maneuver on Leandra, and suddenly the faunus twins were fighting Pyrrha while Ash and Ashley were back to back keeping their eyes peeled for the next approaching challenger.
"You didn't happen to come up with a backup plan at any point, did you?" Ash asked his sister.
"Nope," Ashley popped the p.
It was then that Ash noticed his father take a step forward from the edge of the courtyard towards the battle, then another, and another; a look of determination growing stronger and stronger with each step.
Jaune Arc took a deep breath, and then projected his voice the way he had seen his own Father Nick do when things got out of hand.
"HEY! CUT IT OUT!" Jaune bellowed, "NONE OF THAT! SHAME ON YOU!"
If Ash and Ashley hadn't already been standing still the raw authority their Father managed to put into that shout would have made them freeze in their tracks. Apparently all of their paradox half-siblings were of the same mind, for all of them came to a complete stop by the time their Father had completed the first syllable. It didn't take long for the mothers to follow suit. Pyrrha, Weiss, May, Blake and Arslan all froze by the time the second syllable was finished. Ruby, Yang and Auntie Em all came to stop in the middle of the third syllable, and their Mom...
...Their Mom wasn't stopping.
Their Mom wasn't stopping and her eyes were filled with all consuming fury.
Their Mom wasn't stopping, her eyes were filled with an all consuming fury and her face was a rictus of rage.
Oh Gods; Their Mom was going to KILL Auntie Em!
Ash moved, and Ashley moved beside him. In three leaping bounds they were between their mother and Auntie Em, their hands stretched out before them as they both cried out: "Mom! Sto-"
Cinder Fall lashed out with both hands wreathed in arcane flames, and Ash and Ashley's world was filled with searing pain...
--------------------
Cinder had learned at a young age that anything she didn't directly control could and would hurt her. The so called 'family' that raised her. The huntsman who taught her to fight. The witch who made her an apprentice. All of them made that truth as clear as the sun on a cloudless day. And so Cinder had sought power for control, for if she had enough power she could control everything and then there would be nothing that could hurt her ever again.
Emerald's infatuation with her was a useful tool to that end. That infatuation meant the dark skinned thief wanted to be under Cinder's control, and made her actively labor to that end. All Cinder had to do was whisper a honeyed word there, show a small smile there, leave an implication dangling down the road and Emerald would do all she could to place herself beneath Cinder's power.
That devotion and willingness to be under Cinder's complete control made Emerald different from everything else in the world: Emerald was safe. Emerald could never hurt her, for Emerald had traded away her ability to do so for the low low price of the occasional indulgence in the idea of a possible romantic future between them. And so Cinder would give those small indulgences even though she felt no tangible attraction, for the value of having something that was actually safe in this world was incalculable.
And then the time traveling child had abruptly barged into the room and ruined everything. That child meant the price payed for Emerald's submission would go up and up and up until Cinder couldn't pay it. That child meant Emerald would have a reason to labor for something other than Cinder's favor. That child meant Emerald's infatuation would disappear and be replaced with a love for someone else. That child meant Emerald was no longer safe.
And so Cinder threw down the gauntlet, and then Emerald proved that the child had already pulled her out from under Cinder's power; proved that Emerald could now hurt her. Rage had filled Cinder's heart, and she lashed out at the one who had lied about her unshakable devotion and the child that made that devotion shake.
Everything after she threw the burning glass knife was a blur. If she were to try and recall it later she would only be able to say that Emerald fled, and so she pursued. Through the halls, up and down the stairs, through classrooms and locker rooms and out into the courtyard was all just a blur as she chased the false promiser who had lured her into a false sense of safety and security.
When two strangers jumped in front of her there was no thought beyond the instinct of the fighter: grab their heads and knock em together. The desire to burn the false promiser bled into the action, enveloping her hands in the Maiden's flames.
Twin screams of agony pierced through her rage. How could they not? They were almost identical to her own cries when others had hurt her. Cinder stepped back and looked down at the two fallen figures, writhing in pain in the same way she had writhed when Salem had shown her the true nature of power. She could see their faces, so much like her own even as fire danced across half of them and burned into their aura. The two of them were somehow hers. Somehow there was someone who could make her feel safe enough to risk the vulnerabilities of pregnancy and motherhood.
How? Who?
She looked up, and saw that the eyes of everyone in the courtyard were locked upon her. Then the boy Jaune Arc charged towards her, the others followed.
Cinder turned and ran. As she built up speed the powers of the Maiden surged within her. Flames gathered in her hands and feet and soon they shot out like a rocket, propelling her into the air and away from those who pursued her. In a few moments Beacon Academy was far behind her and she was a speck on the horizon.
--------------------
No one pursued Cinder Fall. Jaune Arc didn't even notice her running away. All he knew was that the two kids screaming the most agonizing screams he had ever heard were somehow his kids and he'd be damned if he didn't do something, anything, to help them.
Jaune went to his knees on the ground between them, placing his hands on their shoulders in an effort to stop their violent thrashing about. The instant he made contact with them he felt something strange happen with his aura; it was actively being pulled out of him and into the kids. He felt faint and lightheaded for a moment, but through that lightheadedness he noticed that the burning consuming their faces was slowing down, and so he let the pulling happen.
Then the eye each kid had that wasn't wreathed in flame stoped twitching about in an unfocused manner and gained focus locking onto his own in shock. Then they shocked Jaune by closing their eyes and twisting the parts of their faces that weren't burning in a look of concentration, and Jaune felt the pulling on his aura stop.
Why did they stop? They needed his aura to stop having their faces burn off! This was bad, very bad. So very very bad.
But if they weren't going to take his aura, then maybe... maybe he could give it.
Jaune's face contorted with focus and grim determination, and he felt his own aura surge within him. As it surged he did what he could to push it through his arms. That was surprisingly easy. Then the tried to push it out his hands. Also easy. Out of his hands and into them? Now that he was doing it it was easy.
Jaune's aura moved through the two kids and pushed back against the flames trying to consume their faces. As Jaune focused and pushed the flames were overwhelmed and extinguished, and the burnt flesh knitted itself back together; albeit not the way it was before.
The two kids had mirrored burn scars on their faces in the vague shapes of a hand. The boys covered his right eye, the girls her left. It didn't look pretty, but their pain subsided and they slipped into blissful unconsciousness.
Then the doors to the courtyard slammed open again.
--------------------
"STOP THIS FOOLISHNESS AT-" Glynda cut herself off as she saw that the riot had somehow ceased before her arrival. Instead of a scene of violence she instead saw the sight of Jaune Arc trying to cradle and comfort two black haired fraternal twins who had fresh burn scars on their faces, both of them in some kind of fitful sleep. The women and children who had been fighting so violently just a little while ago stood around Jaune in a manner that was simultaneously protective and confused.
Of course now all eyes were on her.
Glynda heaved a mighty sigh before she took control of the situation. "Mr. Arc, Lie Ren, please take those children to the infirmary and then join us in the Headmaster's office once they've been settled in."
"Yes Ma'am" both boys replied.
"The rest of you will be following me," Her tone brokered no argument, "And if you try to slip away I will look for you, I will find you, and you will wish you didn't try to worm your way out of what's coming."
Nobody present was foolish enough to object.
Beacon's Nurses Office was a full blown medical wing packed full with state of the art medical equipment, a suite of high end examination and operating rooms, and enough beds to hold all the students and faculty that would be on campus during a normal semester of school. As such it was only called the Nurses Office in the common vernacular of students and faculty because of the way it was normally staffed: five nurses guarding the medical cabinets to make sure nobody tried to swipe the opioids and other such drugs for recreational purposes.
Now Beacon did have a full blown doctor on hand at all times, but she spent most of her days in a classroom the next hall over teaching students first aid and field medicine.
Now the reasons for such extensive facilities with such a small medical staff were multi faceted. For one thing virtually everyone on school grounds had their Aura unlocked, as such any minor injury would resolve itself fairly quickly and any injury worth getting additional medical attention for would require the state of the art surgical rooms. In other words it was logistically easier to have a miniature hospital on school grounds and fly additional medical staff in as needed than it was to fly critically injured students into a hospital in the city.
Now medical emergencies like that didn't happen every day, once again because everyone on campus has an unlocked aura, so when Ozpin brought Moses down from his office to deal with the boy's growing migraine he expected to have the full attention of the nurses on duty. That was not the case.
Three of the nurses were fussing over a rather resined looking Mercury Black. A pair of prosthetic legs sat on the table beside them, one of them noticeably melted, and the nurses were debating about how salvageable the mounting points on Mercury's legs actually were. Ozpin supposed the young man got caught up in whatever mess that was causing his team leader to chase their teammate Emerald around the courtyard.
The other two nurses were giving Sun Wokong and an attractive young woman (a chameleon faunus if the way her skin colors kept changing meant anything) an in depth lecture/demonstration of all the ways you could tie someone up without restricting blood flow or causing any other long term injuries. They were also making the two practice, having Sun tie-up and untie the chameleon woman again and again until his knots met their professional standards.
It always made Ozpin glad to see students take their education seriously: the ability to properly restrain a recently captured foe when aura suppressing cuffs weren't available was an incredibly useful skill for a Huntsman or Huntress to have. Ozpin mentally commended Sun for taking the initiative to learn these skills on his own. Though perhaps it should be made a proper class next year. An elective perhaps? Thoughts for later.
Not wanting to distract the nurses from their work Ozpin simply lead Moses to an available bed and attended to the lad himself.
"Do you have any medical allergies?" The old wizard asked as he examined the over the counter pain medications stored near the bed.
"Nah," Moses muttered, "I don't."
"Then take two of these, and if things don't get better within an hour you can take two more," Ozpin instructed as he selected a bottle of pills and filled a glass with cold water, "but don't take more than six."
Moses took the recommended dosage and drank all the water in three long gulps. The boy then fell back into the bed with his eyes scrunched shut.
"Now my recommendation is for you to try and sleep through the worst of this headache," Ozpin said as he pulled a piece of equipment from behind the bed's headrest. "Now I'm going to place this headband on you, it will monitor your brain activity and get the attention of the nurses if anything alarming happens, alright?" Moses allowed him to place the headband, and Ozpin wrote a note explaining what the nurses needed to know about Moses.
With the note written and placed where the nurses would find it when they turned their attention to the boy Ozpin quickly glanced around the room to see what everyone was doing. The nurses on duty were still focused on what they were doing before he came into the room, and Moses seemed pretty out of sorts. That meant he was free to flex a mystical muscle or two without real scrutiny.
Ozpin ran two of his fingers over Moses' forehead, muttering words in a language that had died the day Salem spat in the face of the Gods: a simple cantrip to help ease the mind into pleasant dreams. As Ozpin felt the spell take root in Moses' mind he turned to leave, only to hear Moses whisper two words in that dead language:
"Thanks Dad."
If a wizard trips over his own two feet, but nobody noticed, did he actually trip over himself?
On most days Ozpin is honest enough with himself to admit the answer is yes.
--------------------
Finding a few seconds respite, Ash activated a switch on the side of his dagger, making it shift in size to the length and girth of a proper longsword. The new length added to the blade made it easier for him to force Petra to keep her distance, as his weapon now had superior reach when compared to her wooden hook sword. If the girl had still had two of them then perhaps the reach advantage wouldn't have mattered as much, but Petra had lost one of her blades to Dorothy a couple of exchanges ago.
And yet as Ash tried to press his newfound advantage Nicholas was suddenly between them using his glyphs as shields that blasted both of them back when their swords made contact. And with that Petra was now fighting Nicholas, while Ash suddenly found himself fighting Leander while Ashly grappled with Leandra right next to them.
How many times had he switched opponents now? Six? Seven? More? He knew he hadn't crossed blades with everyone here, but it sure felt like it.
At this point it was clear that Ashley's long shot plan was toast. It kind of hinged on their Dad getting to know their Mom under conditions where both of them could be vulnerable, hence the need to get everyone else out of the way. But now their Mom was here chasing Auntie Em around like a rabid dog and screaming expletives like a raving lunatic in front of Dad, and it was hard to imagine Dad letting his guard down after seeing that.
Ash jumped over Leander and kicked behind himself while Ashley performed a similar maneuver on Leandra, and suddenly the faunus twins were fighting Pyrrha while Ash and Ashley were back to back keeping their eyes peeled for the next approaching challenger.
"You didn't happen to come up with a backup plan at any point, did you?" Ash asked his sister.
"Nope," Ashley popped the p.
It was then that Ash noticed his father take a step forward from the edge of the courtyard towards the battle, then another, and another; a look of determination growing stronger and stronger with each step.
Jaune Arc took a deep breath, and then projected his voice the way he had seen his own Father Nick do when things got out of hand.
"HEY! CUT IT OUT!" Jaune bellowed, "NONE OF THAT! SHAME ON YOU!"
If Ash and Ashley hadn't already been standing still the raw authority their Father managed to put into that shout would have made them freeze in their tracks. Apparently all of their paradox half-siblings were of the same mind, for all of them came to a complete stop by the time their Father had completed the first syllable. It didn't take long for the mothers to follow suit. Pyrrha, Weiss, May, Blake and Arslan all froze by the time the second syllable was finished. Ruby, Yang and Auntie Em all came to stop in the middle of the third syllable, and their Mom...
...Their Mom wasn't stopping.
Their Mom wasn't stopping and her eyes were filled with all consuming fury.
Their Mom wasn't stopping, her eyes were filled with an all consuming fury and her face was a rictus of rage.
Oh Gods; Their Mom was going to KILL Auntie Em!
Ash moved, and Ashley moved beside him. In three leaping bounds they were between their mother and Auntie Em, their hands stretched out before them as they both cried out: "Mom! Sto-"
Cinder Fall lashed out with both hands wreathed in arcane flames, and Ash and Ashley's world was filled with searing pain...
--------------------
Cinder had learned at a young age that anything she didn't directly control could and would hurt her. The so called 'family' that raised her. The huntsman who taught her to fight. The witch who made her an apprentice. All of them made that truth as clear as the sun on a cloudless day. And so Cinder had sought power for control, for if she had enough power she could control everything and then there would be nothing that could hurt her ever again.
Emerald's infatuation with her was a useful tool to that end. That infatuation meant the dark skinned thief wanted to be under Cinder's control, and made her actively labor to that end. All Cinder had to do was whisper a honeyed word there, show a small smile there, leave an implication dangling down the road and Emerald would do all she could to place herself beneath Cinder's power.
That devotion and willingness to be under Cinder's complete control made Emerald different from everything else in the world: Emerald was safe. Emerald could never hurt her, for Emerald had traded away her ability to do so for the low low price of the occasional indulgence in the idea of a possible romantic future between them. And so Cinder would give those small indulgences even though she felt no tangible attraction, for the value of having something that was actually safe in this world was incalculable.
And then the time traveling child had abruptly barged into the room and ruined everything. That child meant the price payed for Emerald's submission would go up and up and up until Cinder couldn't pay it. That child meant Emerald would have a reason to labor for something other than Cinder's favor. That child meant Emerald's infatuation would disappear and be replaced with a love for someone else. That child meant Emerald was no longer safe.
And so Cinder threw down the gauntlet, and then Emerald proved that the child had already pulled her out from under Cinder's power; proved that Emerald could now hurt her. Rage had filled Cinder's heart, and she lashed out at the one who had lied about her unshakable devotion and the child that made that devotion shake.
Everything after she threw the burning glass knife was a blur. If she were to try and recall it later she would only be able to say that Emerald fled, and so she pursued. Through the halls, up and down the stairs, through classrooms and locker rooms and out into the courtyard was all just a blur as she chased the false promiser who had lured her into a false sense of safety and security.
When two strangers jumped in front of her there was no thought beyond the instinct of the fighter: grab their heads and knock em together. The desire to burn the false promiser bled into the action, enveloping her hands in the Maiden's flames.
Twin screams of agony pierced through her rage. How could they not? They were almost identical to her own cries when others had hurt her. Cinder stepped back and looked down at the two fallen figures, writhing in pain in the same way she had writhed when Salem had shown her the true nature of power. She could see their faces, so much like her own even as fire danced across half of them and burned into their aura. The two of them were somehow hers. Somehow there was someone who could make her feel safe enough to risk the vulnerabilities of pregnancy and motherhood.
How? Who?
She looked up, and saw that the eyes of everyone in the courtyard were locked upon her. Then the boy Jaune Arc charged towards her, the others followed.
Cinder turned and ran. As she built up speed the powers of the Maiden surged within her. Flames gathered in her hands and feet and soon they shot out like a rocket, propelling her into the air and away from those who pursued her. In a few moments Beacon Academy was far behind her and she was a speck on the horizon.
--------------------
No one pursued Cinder Fall. Jaune Arc didn't even notice her running away. All he knew was that the two kids screaming the most agonizing screams he had ever heard were somehow his kids and he'd be damned if he didn't do something, anything, to help them.
Jaune went to his knees on the ground between them, placing his hands on their shoulders in an effort to stop their violent thrashing about. The instant he made contact with them he felt something strange happen with his aura; it was actively being pulled out of him and into the kids. He felt faint and lightheaded for a moment, but through that lightheadedness he noticed that the burning consuming their faces was slowing down, and so he let the pulling happen.
Then the eye each kid had that wasn't wreathed in flame stoped twitching about in an unfocused manner and gained focus locking onto his own in shock. Then they shocked Jaune by closing their eyes and twisting the parts of their faces that weren't burning in a look of concentration, and Jaune felt the pulling on his aura stop.
Why did they stop? They needed his aura to stop having their faces burn off! This was bad, very bad. So very very bad.
But if they weren't going to take his aura, then maybe... maybe he could give it.
Jaune's face contorted with focus and grim determination, and he felt his own aura surge within him. As it surged he did what he could to push it through his arms. That was surprisingly easy. Then the tried to push it out his hands. Also easy. Out of his hands and into them? Now that he was doing it it was easy.
Jaune's aura moved through the two kids and pushed back against the flames trying to consume their faces. As Jaune focused and pushed the flames were overwhelmed and extinguished, and the burnt flesh knitted itself back together; albeit not the way it was before.
The two kids had mirrored burn scars on their faces in the vague shapes of a hand. The boys covered his right eye, the girls her left. It didn't look pretty, but their pain subsided and they slipped into blissful unconsciousness.
Then the doors to the courtyard slammed open again.
--------------------
"STOP THIS FOOLISHNESS AT-" Glynda cut herself off as she saw that the riot had somehow ceased before her arrival. Instead of a scene of violence she instead saw the sight of Jaune Arc trying to cradle and comfort two black haired fraternal twins who had fresh burn scars on their faces, both of them in some kind of fitful sleep. The women and children who had been fighting so violently just a little while ago stood around Jaune in a manner that was simultaneously protective and confused.
Of course now all eyes were on her.
Glynda heaved a mighty sigh before she took control of the situation. "Mr. Arc, Lie Ren, please take those children to the infirmary and then join us in the Headmaster's office once they've been settled in."
"Yes Ma'am" both boys replied.
"The rest of you will be following me," Her tone brokered no argument, "And if you try to slip away I will look for you, I will find you, and you will wish you didn't try to worm your way out of what's coming."
Nobody present was foolish enough to object.
The Battle's Aftermath: Ozpin's Office. By Sift Green
AndrewJTalon
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Making everyone tell their side of the story had taken a while, but if there was going to be peace among them it needed to happen. Ozpin could tell that some people hadn't shared everything; Emerald had seemed quite uncomfortable talking about Cinder for instance, but everyone had shared enough for today's purposes. The old wizard smiled as the stories sowed the seeds of empathy, and when they were done he began to work his metaphorical magic.
"Now before we continue there is something I want to make clear," Ozpin noted as his eyes roamed over the crowd assembled in his office, looking each time displaced child in the eyes, "I understand why you chose to do what you did. The situation you've found yourselves in is completely unprecedented and all of you understandably believe your lives and the lives of your siblings are in danger. I won't say you shouldn't be scared, this is uncharted territory after all. However, I want to assure you that I will be doing everything in my power to ensure each and every one of you will make it through this alive."
Ozpin then met the eyes of every mother in the room except for Glynda. Part of him wondered if his deputy headmistress had realized the Dorothy girl was hers; Glynda had shown no sign of recognition and the identity of Dorothy's mother hadn't been mentioned in anyones retellings of this morning's events. The girl was doing her best to always have someone between her and her mother, a nervous and embarrassed energy emerging from her every time she looked in her mother's direction. Irregardless of that drama Ozpin addressed the mothers:
"I'm not going to blame any of you for getting swept up in a feeling of maternal protectiveness and lashing out at a perceived threat to your child. Having such maternal feelings is probably a first time experience for most of you, and almost everyone makes the wrong choice the first time around." Ozpin's expression turned from being a kindly and understanding one to being the stone cold face of a judge pronouncing his sentence as he addressed the crowd as a whole; "That being said further acts of violence to solve this issue will not be tolerated in any way, shape or form. Don't test me on this: I have lived a very long life and I can get extremely creative with displaying my displeasure, so don't give me any reasons to get creative."
The crowd shifted nervously, and Ozpin pressed on, "To ensure that all of you know where I am coming from your children will be shadowing you over the next few weeks. On Monday you will be shadowed by your own child, on Tuesday you will be shadowed by someone else's child, on Wednesday you will be shadowed by a third child and so on until you've been shadowed by every time displaced child here. At the end of each day you will write a short paper detailing how well you got to know the child you were attempting to erase in your little skirmish today."
And there was the uncomfortable squirming he wanted to see in them; the moral implications of their rash decisions were starting to sink in. Ruby, Pyrrha and Yang were starting to look like they were going to be sick. Blake and Arslan's eyes were starting to widen from a realization of horror. Weiss was still wearing the look of flabbergasted incomprehension she had worn since Glynda had brought her into the office so Ozpin figured she was still processing, but May and Emerald were interesting. May Zedong had a look of sorrowful guilt on her face that made Ozpin think she already knew where this might end up, and if that was the case he might have to do something to apologize for raking her over the coals with the others.
Emerald had a look of relieved acceptance, which Ozpin figured was fair. The girl hadn't technically participated in the skirmish; she had spent the entire fight trying to not get murdered by her team leader. The girl probably figured the rules he was laying out meant she had a chance to fight for her daughter in the arena of social combat. She was right to think that, but she might be caught off guard by the ways Ozpin planned to shape that arena.
Satisfied that the process of leading the girls to come to the difficult realization on their own had begun Ozpin once again adopted a more kindly demeanor to continue his address.
"Now, I'd like Mr. Arc to stay behind for a more private discussion, but while that happens we should get our time displaced guests settled in for the day. If you could all go down to storage closet A113; it should have a wide selection of cots, sleeping bags and pillows that will let everyone sleep in the same dorms as their mothers tonight, we'll figure out more long term arrangements tomorrow." Ozpin then focused his gaze on Emerald, "Ms. Sustrai, since Ms. Fall destroyed your dorm room would you rather spend the night with Team JNPR, Team BRNZ or Team ABRN?"
Emerald appeared to think for a moment, trying her best to not glance at Jaune while everyone's eyes were on her. "I think Amethyst and I will stay with JNPR sir."
"What about the children who's mothers aren't here sir?" Glynda asked before Ozpin could dismiss anyone.
"From what you've told me Ash and Ashley will remain in the Nurses Office tonight," Ozpin answered. "Have Theodore come back here once he's collected his cot and other necessities. I'll get in contact with General Ironwood and find out when he plans to bring Winter back to campus." Ozpin then looked to Dorothy and asked, "Is there a particular reason you aren't telling her?"
"Nooooooooooo," Dorothy shifted back and forth on her feet, "It's just, this is super, super awkward."
"Then there's no point delaying any further: rip the band-aid off." Ozpin instructed.
Dorothy sighed and then turned to face Glynda, taking purposeful strides towards her mother. Glynda's eyes became wider and wider with each step, until Dorothy stood directly in front of her.
"Hi Mom," Dorothy grinned nervously.
If the school's chief disciplinarian fainted, and everyone was there to see it, did she really faint?
The answer is no if the witnesses know what's good for them.
After the excitement of Glynda fainting wore off and the deputy headmistress had recovered enough to lead the group out, AFTER GLYNDA HAD NO ISSUES WHATSOEVER AND SHE LEAD THE GROUP OUT, Jaune Arc was left alone with Headmaster Ozpin.
"What did you want to talk about sir?" Jaune asked once the elevator doors had closed.
"I'm guessing your feeling overwhelmed right now, am I right?" Ozpin asked.
"Yeah," Jaune chuckled mirthlessly, "You could say that." Ozpin remained invitingly silent, which prompted Jaune to continue, "I mean, I always expected to be a father someday, after I became a successful huntsman you know?" Ozpin nodded in agreement, he had met enough promising young men to know. "And now I'm suddenly meeting kids who could be my kids one day and they all seem like great kids I'd be proud to call my own, but they all have different moms and that means I'm going to have to chose which one's my real kid. But how can I? They're all my kids! How does someone even think about doing that?"
Ozpin got up from behind his desk and walked around so he could sit in a chair directly beside Jaune. The old wizard then looked the young warrior in the eye and told him, "Well, your first priority is getting to know their mothers better."
"I guess that makes sense," Jaune allowed.
"Just take things day by day for a little while and see where things go. I'm confident that as long as you keep your best foot forward all of this will work out in the end."
"How can you be so sure?" Jaune asked.
Because there's enough of you to go around and you'll eventually prove that to your future brides as long as you remain your earnest self, Ozpin thought but did not say. Instead he smiled and said, "I've had a lot of experience with complicated relationships, I know how these things shake out."
"Right," Jaune murmured in thought for a moment. Then he brought up the concern eating away at the back of his mind; "But what are we going to do about Ash and Ashley's mom?"
That was the million Lien question.
What were they going to do about Cinder?
"Now before we continue there is something I want to make clear," Ozpin noted as his eyes roamed over the crowd assembled in his office, looking each time displaced child in the eyes, "I understand why you chose to do what you did. The situation you've found yourselves in is completely unprecedented and all of you understandably believe your lives and the lives of your siblings are in danger. I won't say you shouldn't be scared, this is uncharted territory after all. However, I want to assure you that I will be doing everything in my power to ensure each and every one of you will make it through this alive."
Ozpin then met the eyes of every mother in the room except for Glynda. Part of him wondered if his deputy headmistress had realized the Dorothy girl was hers; Glynda had shown no sign of recognition and the identity of Dorothy's mother hadn't been mentioned in anyones retellings of this morning's events. The girl was doing her best to always have someone between her and her mother, a nervous and embarrassed energy emerging from her every time she looked in her mother's direction. Irregardless of that drama Ozpin addressed the mothers:
"I'm not going to blame any of you for getting swept up in a feeling of maternal protectiveness and lashing out at a perceived threat to your child. Having such maternal feelings is probably a first time experience for most of you, and almost everyone makes the wrong choice the first time around." Ozpin's expression turned from being a kindly and understanding one to being the stone cold face of a judge pronouncing his sentence as he addressed the crowd as a whole; "That being said further acts of violence to solve this issue will not be tolerated in any way, shape or form. Don't test me on this: I have lived a very long life and I can get extremely creative with displaying my displeasure, so don't give me any reasons to get creative."
The crowd shifted nervously, and Ozpin pressed on, "To ensure that all of you know where I am coming from your children will be shadowing you over the next few weeks. On Monday you will be shadowed by your own child, on Tuesday you will be shadowed by someone else's child, on Wednesday you will be shadowed by a third child and so on until you've been shadowed by every time displaced child here. At the end of each day you will write a short paper detailing how well you got to know the child you were attempting to erase in your little skirmish today."
And there was the uncomfortable squirming he wanted to see in them; the moral implications of their rash decisions were starting to sink in. Ruby, Pyrrha and Yang were starting to look like they were going to be sick. Blake and Arslan's eyes were starting to widen from a realization of horror. Weiss was still wearing the look of flabbergasted incomprehension she had worn since Glynda had brought her into the office so Ozpin figured she was still processing, but May and Emerald were interesting. May Zedong had a look of sorrowful guilt on her face that made Ozpin think she already knew where this might end up, and if that was the case he might have to do something to apologize for raking her over the coals with the others.
Emerald had a look of relieved acceptance, which Ozpin figured was fair. The girl hadn't technically participated in the skirmish; she had spent the entire fight trying to not get murdered by her team leader. The girl probably figured the rules he was laying out meant she had a chance to fight for her daughter in the arena of social combat. She was right to think that, but she might be caught off guard by the ways Ozpin planned to shape that arena.
Satisfied that the process of leading the girls to come to the difficult realization on their own had begun Ozpin once again adopted a more kindly demeanor to continue his address.
"Now, I'd like Mr. Arc to stay behind for a more private discussion, but while that happens we should get our time displaced guests settled in for the day. If you could all go down to storage closet A113; it should have a wide selection of cots, sleeping bags and pillows that will let everyone sleep in the same dorms as their mothers tonight, we'll figure out more long term arrangements tomorrow." Ozpin then focused his gaze on Emerald, "Ms. Sustrai, since Ms. Fall destroyed your dorm room would you rather spend the night with Team JNPR, Team BRNZ or Team ABRN?"
Emerald appeared to think for a moment, trying her best to not glance at Jaune while everyone's eyes were on her. "I think Amethyst and I will stay with JNPR sir."
"What about the children who's mothers aren't here sir?" Glynda asked before Ozpin could dismiss anyone.
"From what you've told me Ash and Ashley will remain in the Nurses Office tonight," Ozpin answered. "Have Theodore come back here once he's collected his cot and other necessities. I'll get in contact with General Ironwood and find out when he plans to bring Winter back to campus." Ozpin then looked to Dorothy and asked, "Is there a particular reason you aren't telling her?"
"Nooooooooooo," Dorothy shifted back and forth on her feet, "It's just, this is super, super awkward."
"Then there's no point delaying any further: rip the band-aid off." Ozpin instructed.
Dorothy sighed and then turned to face Glynda, taking purposeful strides towards her mother. Glynda's eyes became wider and wider with each step, until Dorothy stood directly in front of her.
"Hi Mom," Dorothy grinned nervously.
If the school's chief disciplinarian fainted, and everyone was there to see it, did she really faint?
The answer is no if the witnesses know what's good for them.
"What did you want to talk about sir?" Jaune asked once the elevator doors had closed.
"I'm guessing your feeling overwhelmed right now, am I right?" Ozpin asked.
"Yeah," Jaune chuckled mirthlessly, "You could say that." Ozpin remained invitingly silent, which prompted Jaune to continue, "I mean, I always expected to be a father someday, after I became a successful huntsman you know?" Ozpin nodded in agreement, he had met enough promising young men to know. "And now I'm suddenly meeting kids who could be my kids one day and they all seem like great kids I'd be proud to call my own, but they all have different moms and that means I'm going to have to chose which one's my real kid. But how can I? They're all my kids! How does someone even think about doing that?"
Ozpin got up from behind his desk and walked around so he could sit in a chair directly beside Jaune. The old wizard then looked the young warrior in the eye and told him, "Well, your first priority is getting to know their mothers better."
"I guess that makes sense," Jaune allowed.
"Just take things day by day for a little while and see where things go. I'm confident that as long as you keep your best foot forward all of this will work out in the end."
"How can you be so sure?" Jaune asked.
Because there's enough of you to go around and you'll eventually prove that to your future brides as long as you remain your earnest self, Ozpin thought but did not say. Instead he smiled and said, "I've had a lot of experience with complicated relationships, I know how these things shake out."
"Right," Jaune murmured in thought for a moment. Then he brought up the concern eating away at the back of his mind; "But what are we going to do about Ash and Ashley's mom?"
That was the million Lien question.
What were they going to do about Cinder?
The Battle's Aftermath: Yang Unwinding with Xia.
AndrewJTalon
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"Uggghhh..."
"Tell me about it," Yang sighed, as she and her daughter sat together near a bench where she often trained. "What a mess." She smiled at Xia.
"Still... Ya know... You're not disappearing," she said with a smile.
"No, not yet," Xia muttered, looking glumly down at her feet. Yang wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
"Buck up. We're not done yet," she said, "Maybe... Maybe we can figure out a way for all of you to be around."
"Trapped in a time without our families or friends," Xia sighed deeply. "I-I mean... I think I'm actually older than you!"
"Probably a nice thing for a mom to hear," Yang teased. "But... Seriously. We'll figure this out. Promise. I mean... You're already really strong."
"I don't think even my Semblance can fix this," Xia groaned, "And it's literally called Super."
"Super?" Yang asked with snort, "Did your dad come up with that?"
Xia giggled, a bit more animated now.
"You both did," she said. "I loved it... Then again, I was like, nine."
"So, does it work the same way as mine?" Yang asked, interested. Xia stood up and beamed.
"Yeah! Well, sort of. I take enough hits, I can convert it into more Aura energy! But also, thanks to Dad... I can kind of supercharge it. Use that energy to push my Aura even higher! And of course, Grandpa can store that energy up and use it later!"
"Seriously? He's been holding out on me," Yang grumbled, but smiled at her daughter, "Show me!"
Xia stepped way back onto the campus quad's grass. She flared her Aura, and her eyes burned red as her blonde hair waved in the wind like flames.
"Super Level One... And...!"
She grunted, and growled. Her hair waved, glowing brighter. Her eyes flickered and burned hotter, and her Aura became intense enough that the pavement underneath her cracked. Yang was nearly knocked off the bench as she gaped in astonishment as her daughter stood there, a burning inferno of power.
"Super... Level Two," she panted.
"Wow," Yang said, "I uh... If I'm being honest, it's a little hard to tell the difference, except for all the power-EEP!"
A stray electrical spark hit Yang as she yelped.
"It has... Little zappy zaps," Xia admitted, a bit embarrassed. "Grandpa and you pushed your Semblances to Level 3, with Dad's help."
"Really?" Yang asked, leaning forward in interest as Xia's Aura slowly diminished and her eyes returned to their usual blue.
Xia nodded with a big smile.
"Oh yeah! You two, with Dad supercharging everyone else! You're like... Amazing! Like Gods and Goddesses of War! You totally crushed Salem, absolutely flattened her! And-And saved the world! You're my heroes!"
Xia then flushed, and looked down at the pavement and the many cracks she'd put into it.
"You're my everything," she quietly admitted.
Yang smiled softly at her daughter.
"I... I can see why," she said softly. She cleared her throat, and tried to get her daughter's mind off of things.
"Sooo... Can you hit Super Level 3? Or is three a crowd?"
Xia groaned, but she had a small smile on her face.
"Um, no. That's way too hard for me to do yet!" She said, rubbing the back of her head. She sighed. "And I'm honestly not that good with Super Level 2, either. Not yet-"
"Then we have something to work on," Yang said with a smile, as she got up and hugged her daughter. It just came so... Naturally!
"R-Really?" Xia asked.
"And," Yang smirked, "It's a good way to spend time with your father. After all, if you can pump out THAT much Aura energy? That could... I dunno... Do all sorts of things! Especially if he can use his Semblance to supercharge it!"
People assumed Yang was stupid just because she was blonde and a brawler. And while she wasn't the highest scorer when it came to academics? She had plenty of common sense.
And more than a little cunning.
Xia beamed, and hugged her mother back.
"Thanks Mom."
"Any time," Yang sighed. "Now... Tell me more about the future, hm? Since time travel is screwed up anyway, may as well get all the spoilers out of the way now..."
"Tell me about it," Yang sighed, as she and her daughter sat together near a bench where she often trained. "What a mess." She smiled at Xia.
"Still... Ya know... You're not disappearing," she said with a smile.
"No, not yet," Xia muttered, looking glumly down at her feet. Yang wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
"Buck up. We're not done yet," she said, "Maybe... Maybe we can figure out a way for all of you to be around."
"Trapped in a time without our families or friends," Xia sighed deeply. "I-I mean... I think I'm actually older than you!"
"Probably a nice thing for a mom to hear," Yang teased. "But... Seriously. We'll figure this out. Promise. I mean... You're already really strong."
"I don't think even my Semblance can fix this," Xia groaned, "And it's literally called Super."
"Super?" Yang asked with snort, "Did your dad come up with that?"
Xia giggled, a bit more animated now.
"You both did," she said. "I loved it... Then again, I was like, nine."
"So, does it work the same way as mine?" Yang asked, interested. Xia stood up and beamed.
"Yeah! Well, sort of. I take enough hits, I can convert it into more Aura energy! But also, thanks to Dad... I can kind of supercharge it. Use that energy to push my Aura even higher! And of course, Grandpa can store that energy up and use it later!"
"Seriously? He's been holding out on me," Yang grumbled, but smiled at her daughter, "Show me!"
Xia stepped way back onto the campus quad's grass. She flared her Aura, and her eyes burned red as her blonde hair waved in the wind like flames.
"Super Level One... And...!"
She grunted, and growled. Her hair waved, glowing brighter. Her eyes flickered and burned hotter, and her Aura became intense enough that the pavement underneath her cracked. Yang was nearly knocked off the bench as she gaped in astonishment as her daughter stood there, a burning inferno of power.
"Super... Level Two," she panted.
"Wow," Yang said, "I uh... If I'm being honest, it's a little hard to tell the difference, except for all the power-EEP!"
A stray electrical spark hit Yang as she yelped.
"It has... Little zappy zaps," Xia admitted, a bit embarrassed. "Grandpa and you pushed your Semblances to Level 3, with Dad's help."
"Really?" Yang asked, leaning forward in interest as Xia's Aura slowly diminished and her eyes returned to their usual blue.
Xia nodded with a big smile.
"Oh yeah! You two, with Dad supercharging everyone else! You're like... Amazing! Like Gods and Goddesses of War! You totally crushed Salem, absolutely flattened her! And-And saved the world! You're my heroes!"
Xia then flushed, and looked down at the pavement and the many cracks she'd put into it.
"You're my everything," she quietly admitted.
Yang smiled softly at her daughter.
"I... I can see why," she said softly. She cleared her throat, and tried to get her daughter's mind off of things.
"Sooo... Can you hit Super Level 3? Or is three a crowd?"
Xia groaned, but she had a small smile on her face.
"Um, no. That's way too hard for me to do yet!" She said, rubbing the back of her head. She sighed. "And I'm honestly not that good with Super Level 2, either. Not yet-"
"Then we have something to work on," Yang said with a smile, as she got up and hugged her daughter. It just came so... Naturally!
"R-Really?" Xia asked.
"And," Yang smirked, "It's a good way to spend time with your father. After all, if you can pump out THAT much Aura energy? That could... I dunno... Do all sorts of things! Especially if he can use his Semblance to supercharge it!"
People assumed Yang was stupid just because she was blonde and a brawler. And while she wasn't the highest scorer when it came to academics? She had plenty of common sense.
And more than a little cunning.
Xia beamed, and hugged her mother back.
"Thanks Mom."
"Any time," Yang sighed. "Now... Tell me more about the future, hm? Since time travel is screwed up anyway, may as well get all the spoilers out of the way now..."
The Battle's Aftermath: Winter Finally Meets Her Son.
AndrewJTalon
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"Ozpin needs to speak with us, in person, as soon as possible."
That transmission from General Ironwood had seen Specialist Winter Schnee take her personal airship out of her patrol's formation and make for Beacon Academy at best speed. She arrived at Beacon's airfield at the same time as Ironwood's transport, leading to the two linking up with a silent nod as they purposefully strode through the school's grounds to the headmaster's office. It wasn't until the doors of the elevator leading up to the office closed that ether of them spoke.
"Do you have any idea what this is about sir?" Winter asked.
"Negative," Ironwood replied, "But he was defiantly using his 'it can't wait' tone when he contacted me, so it must be important."
Winter nodded in acceptance of that, and the rest of the elevator ride was spent in silence.
When the elevator doors opened they were greeted not only with the expected sight of Ozpin sitting behind his desk, but also the sight of a young man rapidly typing away at a computer while comparing the code he was typing to code displayed on his scroll.
The young man was a total stranger, yet he looked disturbingly familiar to Winter for reasons she couldn't place. He looked like he could be closely related family, which was of course impossible; the Schnee family was far too small these days for her to be closely related to a stranger. Or distantly related for that mater.
Then there was the fact that he was wearing Atlasian style light armor under his smart looking black and white coat, it was enough to make one think he was a student at Atlas Academy. Yet a Schnee lookalike would have stood out enough on the student roster for her to know who they were.
The mystery intensified as the stranger noticed their approach. He smoothly rose from his seat and stood at perfect attention, before snapping out a crisp salute and addressing the two of them.
"General Ironwood," He looked at the General with a familiar respect, then his eyes turned to her. "Specialist Schnee," His voice was steady, yet there was an almost imperceptible hitch in his voice as he addressed her; almost as if he had wanted to say something else.
"At ease young man," General Ironwood ordered after returning the stranger's salute. The stranger's posture relaxed almost the exact same way Winter's own posture would relax. Some kind of alarm bell was going off in the back of Winter's mind, but she had no idea what it was so it didn't show on her face. Ironwood continued, "I don't believe we've met before."
"I'm Theodore Arc, Sir." The stranger introduced himself. Yet the way Theodore had said the name Arc, it was like he wanted to tack on another name at the end.
"Theodore is the reason I called you in," Ozpin explained, "Though the full explanation is a bit of a doozy so please, sit down."
The General obliged, and so Winter took her own seat a moment after with Theodore sitting down a moment after her.
"Alright then. I'll cut right to the chase,"Ozpin began, "Theodore is a time traveler from the future."
"Is he now," Ironwood looked at the boy in a contemplative manner that showed he believed Ozpin straight away.
Winter wanted to cry foul to that ridiculous notion, but she had see just enough of the world's strangeness for that protest to die before it reached her lips. It still reached her eyes though, and Ozpin must have seen it for he looked to Theodore and asked, "Would you mind demonstrating your semblance so there's no room for doubt?"
"Of course Professor," Theodore replied as he rose to his feet. A blue glyph appeared beneath him. A glyph that could only belong to a Schnee. A red glyph appeared on the floor a few yards to Theodore's right, and the boy teleported between the two glyphs before dismissing them and returning to his chair.
Winter could not deny that she had just seen a variation of the Schnee family semblance, meaning Theodore could only be a Schnee. And the only way Theodore could be a Schnee was if the claim he was a time traveler was true.
"How are you related to me?" Winter asked with a bit of awe slipping into her voice.
Theodore looked her right in the eyes as he answered, "Directly, Mother."
That answer took Winter aback, and she found herself unable to form proper words. Fortunately Ironwood was there to continue the questioning.
"How did you travel through time?" Ironwood leaned forward with interest, "And more importantly why did you do it?"
"My friend Moses' semblance is the how," Theodore answered, "And the why is that it was an accident. Moses is still mastering his power and he wanted to know if he could bring other people with him through time. I volunteered to go with him, and as he was about to make the jump my sister thought it would be funny if she hit him with her supercharger glyph. A jump that was supposed to take us back a few hours ended up taking us back many years instead. The time jump landed us here shortly after sunrise, and things got worse after that."
"Worse how?" The General asked in a tone that was both concerned and fascinated. Winter found herself leaning in even as she processed her surprise.
"Today is apparently a day upon which history turns," Theodore explains, "Because this day is the day that would have sparked my Father's romance with my Mother."
Winter's breath hitched with that statement. She had spent the last few years with a singular focus on furthering her career in Atlas' military, the idea of romance was as far removed from her thoughts as green grass in the middle of her namesake season. And yet she was supposed to meet her husband today? Winter suddenly felt self couscous and had to suppress a strong urge to find a mirror she could use to check her appearance.
"How do I meet your Father? And who is he?" Winter asked. Theodore had the surname Arc, but the only Arc she could think of was that classmate of her sister Weiss, Jaune, who Weiss had complained about in almost every letter she had sent to Winter. It seemed highly unlikely she would fall in love with someone her sister's age and it was possible her husband simply shared a surname with her sister's classmate by coincidence, but what if he was Weiss' classmate? How would she even make that work?
"My Father is Jaune Arc," Theodore answered, and Winter focused as her son continued, hoping clarity would dispel her concerns. "As for how you two got together? There's a party that's supposed to being around 19:30 that my Father was planning to attend with his friends. You came to the party somewhere near its' end looking to speak with Aunt Weiss, and the two of you ended up having a rather nasty fight. Father found you afterwords, and the two of you talked until the sun rose the next day. You both spent the next month working out how to define your relationship, and in the end you decided to pursue a long term commitment that lead to marriage, me, and my nine younger siblings."
A husband and ten kids? When a single thought of romance hadn't entered he head for years until this moment. Winter blinked as she didn't know what to say.
However, Ironwood did. "And how does Winter's love story make today a day upon which history turns?"
"Because everyone else who ended up here with me and Moses has a story about how their mother ended up with Jaune Arc because of something that happens at the party tonight."
"Elaborate," the word snapped out of Winter's mouth before she realized what she was doing, in the same tone her own mother had used when she or her siblings had said something she found alarming.
Ozpin spoke up at this point, "Apparently the party acts like a temporal fulcrum, as Jaune Arc could have ended up starting a serious relationship with more than one woman in attendance, and jumping to a place before the party with Jaune Arc's firstborn created uncertainty in the space time continuum as to who Jaune Arc's firstborn actually is. As a result the firstborn child of every woman Jaune Arc could have married is now on campus."
Winter's eyes widened as she fell back in her chair, with these words slipping out of her mouth; "How many women are after Jaune?"
"With you included? Eleven." Ozpin answered, "Which is honestly a relief."
"Eleven is a relief!" Winter shot Beacon's Headmaster an incredulous look.
"Mr. Arc is exactly the kind of young man every good father hopes their daughter marries some day," Ozpin explained. "We're lucky a child didn't pop up for every unattached woman on campus."
With that mental image in her head Winter could begrudgingly see why eleven was a relief.
General Ironwood had other concerns, "Is this... temporal uncertainty... damaging time in some way? Do we have to worry about reality falling apart now?"
"If reality was going to collapse because of this it probably would have happened when nine of the eleven mothers and their kids had a huge brawl in the middle of the Star-Maiden Memorial Courtyard right in front of Mr. Arc," Ozpin shrugged. "So while I can't be one-hundred percent certain we're in the clear at this point, we probably have enough room to breath and figure things out." Ozpin then glanced over at Winter's son, "And it's probably safe for Theodore to share with you the things he shared with me while we were waiting for you."
"Right," Theodore sat up straighter as Ironwood and Winter returned their gazes to him, "So when you were coming in I was trying to figure out if the security programs on my scroll could be backported to today's equipment. This is supper important because Doctor Arthur Watts isn't dead: he got poached by Salem and so she has access to every single backdoor he put into his code, and there are a lot of them."
General Ironwood was suddenly very glad he was already sitting down. Dr. Watts had practically invented the programing language Atlas' military was currently using in all of their computers. That meant every modern airship, every modern vehicle, and every robot was compromised. Oh Gods, if every robot was compromised then that meant...
"Dr. Watts used those backdoors to steal project P.E.N.N.Y. after she was successfully made into the Winter Maiden," Theodore continued. "For about six months Salem had two Maidens following her orders, and the only reason you guys were able to turn the situation around is because Emerald Sustrai switched sides and stole Watts' scroll, thereby freeing Penny from her digital chains. Penny stated writing her own security codes after that, and it would be prudent for her to start writing her own security code now."
That... That would be prudent. Sure it would give project P.E.N.N.Y. an unprecedented amount of leeway and the potential to ignore certain orders, but in order for project P.E.N.N.Y. to be a success she needed to be unhackable. And if the only way to have P.E.N.N.Y. unhackable in the amount of time Fria had left was to give her more freedoms so be it. A truly immortal Maiden opposing the Witch and her Grimm was more important than a perfectly controllable Maiden anyways; especially if perfect control just meant the Grimm Queen could steal her and use her against Atlas.
"And that brings us to Emerald Sustrai and Cinder Fall," Theodore went on, "Emerald was Cinder's self appointed seneschal, and Cinder is Salem's primary puppet. Cinder's the one who stole Amber's powers, and they were planning a terrorist attack on the Vytal Festival to finish the job."
Ironwood's eyes narrowed and Winter leaned in again. They had identities to look for now. They could be proactive for a change.
"We need Cinder alive," Ozpin interjected, "And Emerald's a non issue at this point in time."
"Care to explain why?" Ironwood asked.
"Because we don't want reality to collapse because of time travel," Ozpin answered with a wry grin.
"You mean both of them are part of the eleven?" Winter asked with concern lacing her tone.
"They are, and as a result Emerald is still here on campus where we can keep an eye on her." Ozpin answered.
"Like I said earlier Emerald switching sides is the only reason the world didn't end in my timeline," Theodore put his two cents in. "And considering the fact that none of my Paradox Step-Siblings had a negative reaction to Emerald I think it's safe to say she switched sides in every timeline. Her loyalty was ultimately to Cinder, not Salem. Cinder burned her bridges with Emerald today during the brawl, and that means we can get Emerald fully on board and convince her to tell us everything she knows if we play the gentle hand."
Ironwood grunted in acknowledgment, while Winter made a mental note to keep a very close eye on Emerald.
"As for Cinder," Theodore went on, "Her twins are devious and pragmatic, but they didn't come across as actively malicious. They also had legitimate student ID cards for Signal Academy, which they wouldn't have if Cinder was still Salem's servant in that timeline. That means Father had to have found whatever goodness she has that hasn't been snuffed out yet and brought it to the surface. Of course all of my paradox step-siblings except for her own kids had a strong negative reaction to her, so ten out of eleven timelines she stays bad."
"In any case we don't know what killing her at this juncture would do to the timeline," Ozpin interjected, "So it's better to play it safe until we've found a way to solve our little paradox here."
"Very well," Ironwood sighed, "I'll give the men who'll be looking for her orders to not engage until someone strong enough to capture her alive is on the scene." Ironwood then stood up, "Winter, until further notice your orders are to remain here at Beacon and to integrate yourself into the life of Jaune Arc."
"Sir?" Winter asked.
"Theodore has done his nation a great service today. Giving him a shot at being the kid who comes out on top of this paradox is the least we can do to show our thanks."
Her superior officer had just given her orders to romance a man. This was shaping up to be one of the weirdest days of her life so far.
That transmission from General Ironwood had seen Specialist Winter Schnee take her personal airship out of her patrol's formation and make for Beacon Academy at best speed. She arrived at Beacon's airfield at the same time as Ironwood's transport, leading to the two linking up with a silent nod as they purposefully strode through the school's grounds to the headmaster's office. It wasn't until the doors of the elevator leading up to the office closed that ether of them spoke.
"Do you have any idea what this is about sir?" Winter asked.
"Negative," Ironwood replied, "But he was defiantly using his 'it can't wait' tone when he contacted me, so it must be important."
Winter nodded in acceptance of that, and the rest of the elevator ride was spent in silence.
When the elevator doors opened they were greeted not only with the expected sight of Ozpin sitting behind his desk, but also the sight of a young man rapidly typing away at a computer while comparing the code he was typing to code displayed on his scroll.
The young man was a total stranger, yet he looked disturbingly familiar to Winter for reasons she couldn't place. He looked like he could be closely related family, which was of course impossible; the Schnee family was far too small these days for her to be closely related to a stranger. Or distantly related for that mater.
Then there was the fact that he was wearing Atlasian style light armor under his smart looking black and white coat, it was enough to make one think he was a student at Atlas Academy. Yet a Schnee lookalike would have stood out enough on the student roster for her to know who they were.
The mystery intensified as the stranger noticed their approach. He smoothly rose from his seat and stood at perfect attention, before snapping out a crisp salute and addressing the two of them.
"General Ironwood," He looked at the General with a familiar respect, then his eyes turned to her. "Specialist Schnee," His voice was steady, yet there was an almost imperceptible hitch in his voice as he addressed her; almost as if he had wanted to say something else.
"At ease young man," General Ironwood ordered after returning the stranger's salute. The stranger's posture relaxed almost the exact same way Winter's own posture would relax. Some kind of alarm bell was going off in the back of Winter's mind, but she had no idea what it was so it didn't show on her face. Ironwood continued, "I don't believe we've met before."
"I'm Theodore Arc, Sir." The stranger introduced himself. Yet the way Theodore had said the name Arc, it was like he wanted to tack on another name at the end.
"Theodore is the reason I called you in," Ozpin explained, "Though the full explanation is a bit of a doozy so please, sit down."
The General obliged, and so Winter took her own seat a moment after with Theodore sitting down a moment after her.
"Alright then. I'll cut right to the chase,"Ozpin began, "Theodore is a time traveler from the future."
"Is he now," Ironwood looked at the boy in a contemplative manner that showed he believed Ozpin straight away.
Winter wanted to cry foul to that ridiculous notion, but she had see just enough of the world's strangeness for that protest to die before it reached her lips. It still reached her eyes though, and Ozpin must have seen it for he looked to Theodore and asked, "Would you mind demonstrating your semblance so there's no room for doubt?"
"Of course Professor," Theodore replied as he rose to his feet. A blue glyph appeared beneath him. A glyph that could only belong to a Schnee. A red glyph appeared on the floor a few yards to Theodore's right, and the boy teleported between the two glyphs before dismissing them and returning to his chair.
Winter could not deny that she had just seen a variation of the Schnee family semblance, meaning Theodore could only be a Schnee. And the only way Theodore could be a Schnee was if the claim he was a time traveler was true.
"How are you related to me?" Winter asked with a bit of awe slipping into her voice.
Theodore looked her right in the eyes as he answered, "Directly, Mother."
That answer took Winter aback, and she found herself unable to form proper words. Fortunately Ironwood was there to continue the questioning.
"How did you travel through time?" Ironwood leaned forward with interest, "And more importantly why did you do it?"
"My friend Moses' semblance is the how," Theodore answered, "And the why is that it was an accident. Moses is still mastering his power and he wanted to know if he could bring other people with him through time. I volunteered to go with him, and as he was about to make the jump my sister thought it would be funny if she hit him with her supercharger glyph. A jump that was supposed to take us back a few hours ended up taking us back many years instead. The time jump landed us here shortly after sunrise, and things got worse after that."
"Worse how?" The General asked in a tone that was both concerned and fascinated. Winter found herself leaning in even as she processed her surprise.
"Today is apparently a day upon which history turns," Theodore explains, "Because this day is the day that would have sparked my Father's romance with my Mother."
Winter's breath hitched with that statement. She had spent the last few years with a singular focus on furthering her career in Atlas' military, the idea of romance was as far removed from her thoughts as green grass in the middle of her namesake season. And yet she was supposed to meet her husband today? Winter suddenly felt self couscous and had to suppress a strong urge to find a mirror she could use to check her appearance.
"How do I meet your Father? And who is he?" Winter asked. Theodore had the surname Arc, but the only Arc she could think of was that classmate of her sister Weiss, Jaune, who Weiss had complained about in almost every letter she had sent to Winter. It seemed highly unlikely she would fall in love with someone her sister's age and it was possible her husband simply shared a surname with her sister's classmate by coincidence, but what if he was Weiss' classmate? How would she even make that work?
"My Father is Jaune Arc," Theodore answered, and Winter focused as her son continued, hoping clarity would dispel her concerns. "As for how you two got together? There's a party that's supposed to being around 19:30 that my Father was planning to attend with his friends. You came to the party somewhere near its' end looking to speak with Aunt Weiss, and the two of you ended up having a rather nasty fight. Father found you afterwords, and the two of you talked until the sun rose the next day. You both spent the next month working out how to define your relationship, and in the end you decided to pursue a long term commitment that lead to marriage, me, and my nine younger siblings."
A husband and ten kids? When a single thought of romance hadn't entered he head for years until this moment. Winter blinked as she didn't know what to say.
However, Ironwood did. "And how does Winter's love story make today a day upon which history turns?"
"Because everyone else who ended up here with me and Moses has a story about how their mother ended up with Jaune Arc because of something that happens at the party tonight."
"Elaborate," the word snapped out of Winter's mouth before she realized what she was doing, in the same tone her own mother had used when she or her siblings had said something she found alarming.
Ozpin spoke up at this point, "Apparently the party acts like a temporal fulcrum, as Jaune Arc could have ended up starting a serious relationship with more than one woman in attendance, and jumping to a place before the party with Jaune Arc's firstborn created uncertainty in the space time continuum as to who Jaune Arc's firstborn actually is. As a result the firstborn child of every woman Jaune Arc could have married is now on campus."
Winter's eyes widened as she fell back in her chair, with these words slipping out of her mouth; "How many women are after Jaune?"
"With you included? Eleven." Ozpin answered, "Which is honestly a relief."
"Eleven is a relief!" Winter shot Beacon's Headmaster an incredulous look.
"Mr. Arc is exactly the kind of young man every good father hopes their daughter marries some day," Ozpin explained. "We're lucky a child didn't pop up for every unattached woman on campus."
With that mental image in her head Winter could begrudgingly see why eleven was a relief.
General Ironwood had other concerns, "Is this... temporal uncertainty... damaging time in some way? Do we have to worry about reality falling apart now?"
"If reality was going to collapse because of this it probably would have happened when nine of the eleven mothers and their kids had a huge brawl in the middle of the Star-Maiden Memorial Courtyard right in front of Mr. Arc," Ozpin shrugged. "So while I can't be one-hundred percent certain we're in the clear at this point, we probably have enough room to breath and figure things out." Ozpin then glanced over at Winter's son, "And it's probably safe for Theodore to share with you the things he shared with me while we were waiting for you."
"Right," Theodore sat up straighter as Ironwood and Winter returned their gazes to him, "So when you were coming in I was trying to figure out if the security programs on my scroll could be backported to today's equipment. This is supper important because Doctor Arthur Watts isn't dead: he got poached by Salem and so she has access to every single backdoor he put into his code, and there are a lot of them."
General Ironwood was suddenly very glad he was already sitting down. Dr. Watts had practically invented the programing language Atlas' military was currently using in all of their computers. That meant every modern airship, every modern vehicle, and every robot was compromised. Oh Gods, if every robot was compromised then that meant...
"Dr. Watts used those backdoors to steal project P.E.N.N.Y. after she was successfully made into the Winter Maiden," Theodore continued. "For about six months Salem had two Maidens following her orders, and the only reason you guys were able to turn the situation around is because Emerald Sustrai switched sides and stole Watts' scroll, thereby freeing Penny from her digital chains. Penny stated writing her own security codes after that, and it would be prudent for her to start writing her own security code now."
That... That would be prudent. Sure it would give project P.E.N.N.Y. an unprecedented amount of leeway and the potential to ignore certain orders, but in order for project P.E.N.N.Y. to be a success she needed to be unhackable. And if the only way to have P.E.N.N.Y. unhackable in the amount of time Fria had left was to give her more freedoms so be it. A truly immortal Maiden opposing the Witch and her Grimm was more important than a perfectly controllable Maiden anyways; especially if perfect control just meant the Grimm Queen could steal her and use her against Atlas.
"And that brings us to Emerald Sustrai and Cinder Fall," Theodore went on, "Emerald was Cinder's self appointed seneschal, and Cinder is Salem's primary puppet. Cinder's the one who stole Amber's powers, and they were planning a terrorist attack on the Vytal Festival to finish the job."
Ironwood's eyes narrowed and Winter leaned in again. They had identities to look for now. They could be proactive for a change.
"We need Cinder alive," Ozpin interjected, "And Emerald's a non issue at this point in time."
"Care to explain why?" Ironwood asked.
"Because we don't want reality to collapse because of time travel," Ozpin answered with a wry grin.
"You mean both of them are part of the eleven?" Winter asked with concern lacing her tone.
"They are, and as a result Emerald is still here on campus where we can keep an eye on her." Ozpin answered.
"Like I said earlier Emerald switching sides is the only reason the world didn't end in my timeline," Theodore put his two cents in. "And considering the fact that none of my Paradox Step-Siblings had a negative reaction to Emerald I think it's safe to say she switched sides in every timeline. Her loyalty was ultimately to Cinder, not Salem. Cinder burned her bridges with Emerald today during the brawl, and that means we can get Emerald fully on board and convince her to tell us everything she knows if we play the gentle hand."
Ironwood grunted in acknowledgment, while Winter made a mental note to keep a very close eye on Emerald.
"As for Cinder," Theodore went on, "Her twins are devious and pragmatic, but they didn't come across as actively malicious. They also had legitimate student ID cards for Signal Academy, which they wouldn't have if Cinder was still Salem's servant in that timeline. That means Father had to have found whatever goodness she has that hasn't been snuffed out yet and brought it to the surface. Of course all of my paradox step-siblings except for her own kids had a strong negative reaction to her, so ten out of eleven timelines she stays bad."
"In any case we don't know what killing her at this juncture would do to the timeline," Ozpin interjected, "So it's better to play it safe until we've found a way to solve our little paradox here."
"Very well," Ironwood sighed, "I'll give the men who'll be looking for her orders to not engage until someone strong enough to capture her alive is on the scene." Ironwood then stood up, "Winter, until further notice your orders are to remain here at Beacon and to integrate yourself into the life of Jaune Arc."
"Sir?" Winter asked.
"Theodore has done his nation a great service today. Giving him a shot at being the kid who comes out on top of this paradox is the least we can do to show our thanks."
Her superior officer had just given her orders to romance a man. This was shaping up to be one of the weirdest days of her life so far.
The Battle's Aftermath: Cinder talks with her "Mother"
AndrewJTalon
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- - -
There were numerous safe houses around Vale that Roman Torchwick made use of. These same safe houses were now accessible by Cinder. She'd run to the first one she could remember, a small but comfortable loft apartment in the old industrial sector of the city.
She'd stormed in, locked the door, and just... Raged She'd stewed, she'd seethed, and blasted apart the TV and the furniture...
Then she collapsed on the one couch that had escaped destruction, breathing hard, sweat beading on her forehead.
Children... I... I was a mother... A mother in another timeline... A future...?
The looks of pain, shock, and betrayal on their faces as she burned them were stuck in her mind. She couldn't excise them, and unlike the other times, countless times really, she had caused pain to others... She couldn't take any pleasure in it.
Her Scroll rang. Cinder slowly reached for it. She checked the caller ID: MOTHER.
She trembled in fear. She took a deep breath, and opened it.
A pale, ghostly visage greeted her, as the Queen of the Grimm glared across the airwaves.
"H-Hello, Mother," Cinder managed.
"Cinder," Salem stated flatly, "You're not in Beacon. What's going on?"
Cinder sucked in a deep breath.
"Things have become... Complicated, Mother," she replied.
"Simplify them," Salem sneered.
So Cinder told her everything she could remember. About the time traveling children. About Jaune Arc.
Nothing about her losing her temper and trying to murder Emerald and her child. It didn't seem relevant and wouldn't help her situation at all.
When she was finished, Salem slowly nodded.
"I see... Well. Most likely, your current plans for Vytal will have to be revised. If this Jaune Arc survived in these future timelines, and they all reacted like they did to you? They know what you were doing."
"I... I understand, Mother," Cinder murmured.
"For now? You must gain more intelligence," Salem stated, "I'll have Watts start working on a new virus, just in case his part in the plan has been revealed. You must continue the plan, but come up with a new way to accomplish it."
Cinder slowly nodded.
"Of course, Mother."
"You will do this with your future children," Salem stated.
Cinder paused.
"M-Mother?"
"You can lure them out," Salem said, "Even after what you did in your foolish anger. You can use their feelings for you against them. That... Or you can lure this Jaune Arc out. Indeed, capturing him should be a priority. He is at the center of all this: Taking him hostage could grant us a great boon..."
She smirked.
"And killing him would ensure only our future comes to fruition."
Cinder hesitated.
"M-Mother... Killing him might... Wouldn't it possibly destabilize all of space and time?"
"Perhaps," Salem allowed, "Which is why it will be a last resort... But I am eternal. And you will be too, as long as you serve me."
Her keen red eyes seemed to pierce Cinder's very soul.
"Unless... You have feelings for the boy?"
Cinder's chest clenched tightly. She... Well. A few dreams about the buffoon, a few kind conversations with him... No! No, she felt nothing!
"Of course not, Mother, b-but... If he did fall for me in a possible future... I-I could... I could keep him. As a pet. As-"
"Do you really think you can deceive me, Cinder?" Salem growled. Cinder gulped.
"N-No, of course not Mother-!"
"You do have feelings for him. I can tell," Salem smirked. Cinder fell silent.
"Just... Nothing significant-!"
"I'll make this very clear, Cinder, since you're having so much difficulty handling things as it is," Salem stated, cold as the grave, "If you even think of putting this Jaune Arc before me in your allegiance, I will kill him. Slowly. Right in front of you. If you get pregnant, I will tear your child from your womb and crush it before you. I am the only priority in your life. I am your only master. Let your feelings get in the way of your service to me, and I will happily remind you of what you should care about. Is that clear?"
Cinder was silent, then slowly nodded.
"Yes Mother."
"Now, dear," Salem said, smiling softly, "Don't worry about that foolish boy, or your feelings for him. Such things do not last. Power is what matters. Power is eternal. Use their feelings against them, and you will have all the power you could ever want."
"Of course, Mother," Cinder murmured. The transmission ended, and Cinder was left sitting along in the ruined room. She stared at the wall, as the image of her twin children's screaming faces dominated her mind. She wiped her eyes, fighting back tears... And failing.
Damnit...
- - -
There were numerous safe houses around Vale that Roman Torchwick made use of. These same safe houses were now accessible by Cinder. She'd run to the first one she could remember, a small but comfortable loft apartment in the old industrial sector of the city.
She'd stormed in, locked the door, and just... Raged She'd stewed, she'd seethed, and blasted apart the TV and the furniture...
Then she collapsed on the one couch that had escaped destruction, breathing hard, sweat beading on her forehead.
Children... I... I was a mother... A mother in another timeline... A future...?
The looks of pain, shock, and betrayal on their faces as she burned them were stuck in her mind. She couldn't excise them, and unlike the other times, countless times really, she had caused pain to others... She couldn't take any pleasure in it.
Her Scroll rang. Cinder slowly reached for it. She checked the caller ID: MOTHER.
She trembled in fear. She took a deep breath, and opened it.
A pale, ghostly visage greeted her, as the Queen of the Grimm glared across the airwaves.
"H-Hello, Mother," Cinder managed.
"Cinder," Salem stated flatly, "You're not in Beacon. What's going on?"
Cinder sucked in a deep breath.
"Things have become... Complicated, Mother," she replied.
"Simplify them," Salem sneered.
So Cinder told her everything she could remember. About the time traveling children. About Jaune Arc.
Nothing about her losing her temper and trying to murder Emerald and her child. It didn't seem relevant and wouldn't help her situation at all.
When she was finished, Salem slowly nodded.
"I see... Well. Most likely, your current plans for Vytal will have to be revised. If this Jaune Arc survived in these future timelines, and they all reacted like they did to you? They know what you were doing."
"I... I understand, Mother," Cinder murmured.
"For now? You must gain more intelligence," Salem stated, "I'll have Watts start working on a new virus, just in case his part in the plan has been revealed. You must continue the plan, but come up with a new way to accomplish it."
Cinder slowly nodded.
"Of course, Mother."
"You will do this with your future children," Salem stated.
Cinder paused.
"M-Mother?"
"You can lure them out," Salem said, "Even after what you did in your foolish anger. You can use their feelings for you against them. That... Or you can lure this Jaune Arc out. Indeed, capturing him should be a priority. He is at the center of all this: Taking him hostage could grant us a great boon..."
She smirked.
"And killing him would ensure only our future comes to fruition."
Cinder hesitated.
"M-Mother... Killing him might... Wouldn't it possibly destabilize all of space and time?"
"Perhaps," Salem allowed, "Which is why it will be a last resort... But I am eternal. And you will be too, as long as you serve me."
Her keen red eyes seemed to pierce Cinder's very soul.
"Unless... You have feelings for the boy?"
Cinder's chest clenched tightly. She... Well. A few dreams about the buffoon, a few kind conversations with him... No! No, she felt nothing!
"Of course not, Mother, b-but... If he did fall for me in a possible future... I-I could... I could keep him. As a pet. As-"
"Do you really think you can deceive me, Cinder?" Salem growled. Cinder gulped.
"N-No, of course not Mother-!"
"You do have feelings for him. I can tell," Salem smirked. Cinder fell silent.
"Just... Nothing significant-!"
"I'll make this very clear, Cinder, since you're having so much difficulty handling things as it is," Salem stated, cold as the grave, "If you even think of putting this Jaune Arc before me in your allegiance, I will kill him. Slowly. Right in front of you. If you get pregnant, I will tear your child from your womb and crush it before you. I am the only priority in your life. I am your only master. Let your feelings get in the way of your service to me, and I will happily remind you of what you should care about. Is that clear?"
Cinder was silent, then slowly nodded.
"Yes Mother."
"Now, dear," Salem said, smiling softly, "Don't worry about that foolish boy, or your feelings for him. Such things do not last. Power is what matters. Power is eternal. Use their feelings against them, and you will have all the power you could ever want."
"Of course, Mother," Cinder murmured. The transmission ended, and Cinder was left sitting along in the ruined room. She stared at the wall, as the image of her twin children's screaming faces dominated her mind. She wiped her eyes, fighting back tears... And failing.
Damnit...
- - -
The Battle's Aftermath: Arslan and Petra Seek Penance.
AndrewJTalon
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A pleasant aroma rolled though Reese Chloris' sinuses as she turned down the hallway leading to the dorm rooms Team ABRN had been assigned, hoverboard slung over her shoulders as she returned from her morning of sliding and grinding on every surface she could find in the training yards. The fragrance was vaguely familiar to Reese, and grew stronger and stronger as she approached the dorm room, leading her to the conclusion that her team leader Arslan was burning incense.
And it wasn't the budget stuff Arslan normally burned, Reese would have placed the smell right away if it was; her team leader had busted out her stupendously expensive frankincense she saved for really special occasions...
...or when she was feeling phenomenally guilty about something. Reese came to a complete stop and strained her ears, and while she was still a good ways away from the door she could still hear Arslan and another girl chanting in Ozymandilian. Though perhaps wailing was a better term for what she was hearing. The tone was defiantly regretful, and while Reese didn't know how to speak the dead language she had heard Arslan use enough Ozymandilian expressions over the years to recognize certain phrases. If the repeated "Forgive our great trespass, Judge of Our Souls," and "Grant us Mercy, Soul Shepard," meant anything Arslan and that other girl were really torn up about something.
Reese opened the door and stepped into the dorm with a carefully calculated level of noise; loudly enough that Arslan would know she was there, quietly enough to not interrupt her team leader's prayers. What she saw in the room was more or less what she expected to see; Arslan and the other girl (Who looked a lot like Arslan, a cousin perhaps?) sat on the ground by an open window facing one another with their hands locked around the other girl's forearms. They moved back and forth in an unsteady rhythm with their eyes closed, chanting mournful words into the smoke rising from incense burner between them.
After putting her hoverboard away as silently as she could manage Reese moved over to her bed to sit down a respectful distance away and watch. As the smoke from the incense burner slowed down so did the fervent prayers of the two chocolate skinned girls. Eventually their words came to a stop, they let go of each other's hands, and Arslan reached for her box of frankincense. Deft hands pulled a block out, and prepared to place it in the incense burner.
"Dude, are you going through the whole thing?" Reese slapped her hands over her mouth surprised at her own interruption.
Arslan paused in her movements, placed the frankincense back in the box, and heaved a heavy sigh, "Things went catastrophically wrong this morning."
"Do... Do you want to talk about it?" Reese asked.
"No," Arslan emphatically replied. "But I should. No. I must."
Realizing this would be a long talk Reese pulled off her boots so she could sit crosslegged on the bed.
Arslan stared off into the distance, while the stranger who was probably related to Arslan bore holes into the floor with her own glare. Silence hung hot and heavy in the air for the next few minutes as the Golden Lion of Haven Academy looked for the right place to begin.
"I almost became a murderer today," Arslan broke the silence in a trembling voice. "If I had accomplished what I set out to accomplish this morning twelve innocent souls would have been consigned to oblivion."
Reese suddenly felt rather inadequate for the conversation ahead, and she silently cursed the fact that Bolin and Nadir had headed off into the city proper for the day to help a bunch of boys from Shade smuggle booze onto school grounds for the party tonight. Bolin would be much batter at helping Arslan through an emotional crisis of this magnitude; and yet she was the one here, and needs must.
"What happened?" That was always a good place to start.
"This is Petra," Arslan began by introducing the stranger, "Daughter of Jaune Arc, and myself."
"Uhhh...." Reese blinked. Once. Twice. A third time. "That's logistically impossible."
"My friend Moses has a semblance that lets him travel through time," Petra spoke up in a voice that trembled as badly as Arslan's. "We were trying to figure out its' hard limits, and he didn't know if he could take another person with him. Well my sister got it into her head that supercharging his semblance would be a good idea for a prank, and so Moses and I ended up here, the day my Mother and Father first got to know each other personally instead of the day Moses was trying to take us to."
Reese knew Arslan was honest to a fault, and the vibes this Petra girl gave off were waaay too similar to Arslan's earnest honesty for Reese to dismiss the crazy talk as a lie. She'd roll with it for now, question the wider implications later when Arslan and Petra weren't drowning in regrets.
"How does time travel result in you two almost committing murder?" Reese pressed on.
"Mother and Father got to know each other at the party tonight, but fate isn't set in stone..." Petra began and then trailed off, apparently thinking hard about her next words.
"You're planning on going to the party tonight?" Reese asked Arslan with a raised eyebrow. Her team leader didn't drink, so why would she come?
"I was, because somebody has to make sure nobody takes advantage of your drunk carcass," Arslan replied with a halfhearted shrug. That made sense considering the last party Reese attended. Arslan went on, "Apparently the way the party was supposed to go involved Pyrrha Nikos getting blackout drunk, and then some punks from Shade tried to take advantage of her intoxicated state. I would intervene at the same time Jaune Arc does, and the two of us got to know each other during the resulting fistfight and as we carried Pyrrha to her bed where she could recover."
"But fate isn't set in stone," Petra picked up again having found her words, "And Father could have easily gotten closer to another woman tonight. Since Moses and I arrived before fate had been decided a paradox occurred and the children of the other women arrived with us. Moses told us to stay put while he looked for a way to get us home, to not have us interfere while history played itself out. We didn't listen, and we all set out to make sure fate picked us instead of anyone else."
Reese nodded to show she was following along, and the crazy sounding story was consistent enough to be real so far.
"Petra came to me and explained the situation," Arslan looked up to the ceiling as if she was looking at the sky beyond it. "And when I found out one of the other women was Pyrrha my vision became clouded..." A tone of self loathing took over her voice. "I saw an opportunity to fight my rival with neither of us holding anything back. Instead of seeking out my future husband to talk things out I sought out Pyrrha, and we fought. The other mothers came across out battle, and they fought. All of us seeking to end the lives of the other's children because I let my desire to prove myself worthy of being Pyrrha's rival overtake my common sense."
Mulling over Arslan's story Reese could sort of understand why her team leader was beating herself up over this. She was probably still missing context, but there was enough to start a real conversation now.
"Did anyone actually die?" The skater girl asked.
"No, thank the Divine," Arslan looked towards Reese. "Jaune Arc arrived and put a stop to things before they could get that far, and then Professor Goodwitch took us to Professor Ozpin. The Headmaster put things into perspective, and now I clearly see my sins."
And if the Headmaster was involved in that way the crazy story was defiantly real. Reese was glad she decided to roll with it instead of objecting to anything.
"And what are your sins?" Reese asked, hoping to see if her leader was blaming herself for anything that wasn't her fault.
"Firstly, I knowingly committed to a plan of action that would have ended the lives of a dozen children." Arslan counted off on her fingers, "Second, I sullied my rivalry by knowingly committing to a plan of action that would have ended the life of my rival's son. Thirdly, and most importantly, I knowingly committed to a plan of action that would have killed my husband's children. I attempted murder today, in three horrifying flavors." Arslan shut her eyes and shuddered, "And to top it all off I lead my daughter down the same path when she came to me for guidance, dragging us both to the gates of hell."
Reese already knew she wasn't qualified to be having this conversation. Heck, she wasn't sure Bolin was qualified either. Yet she was the one who was here, and needs must.
"But you haven't gone through the gates of hell yet," Reese began, and it felt like the right thing to say. "And nobody's dead yet, so what can you do to turn things around?"
Arslan and Petra shared a look of contemplation as they thought over Reese's question. The looks of despair slowly faded away, and Reese felt relief knowing she had asked the right thing.
"We must make restitution to those we harmed today," Arslan answered after fully mulling things over. "A tall task, but doable."
"Who do we start with, and how?" Petra asked.
"Let us start with your Father and my Husband, he would have lost the most if we succeeded," Arslan reasoned. "Then we will move on to Pyrrha, the violation of our rivalry was defiantly the most personal offense. Then the other mothers and your step-siblings."
"So we have the order, now we need the how," Petra noted.
Talking about the best way to apologize to someone? Now that was a conversation Reese was fully qualified for. "Do you know what kinds of foods they like?"
And so the hour continued with three young women brainstorming the ultimate apology tour.
And it wasn't the budget stuff Arslan normally burned, Reese would have placed the smell right away if it was; her team leader had busted out her stupendously expensive frankincense she saved for really special occasions...
...or when she was feeling phenomenally guilty about something. Reese came to a complete stop and strained her ears, and while she was still a good ways away from the door she could still hear Arslan and another girl chanting in Ozymandilian. Though perhaps wailing was a better term for what she was hearing. The tone was defiantly regretful, and while Reese didn't know how to speak the dead language she had heard Arslan use enough Ozymandilian expressions over the years to recognize certain phrases. If the repeated "Forgive our great trespass, Judge of Our Souls," and "Grant us Mercy, Soul Shepard," meant anything Arslan and that other girl were really torn up about something.
Reese opened the door and stepped into the dorm with a carefully calculated level of noise; loudly enough that Arslan would know she was there, quietly enough to not interrupt her team leader's prayers. What she saw in the room was more or less what she expected to see; Arslan and the other girl (Who looked a lot like Arslan, a cousin perhaps?) sat on the ground by an open window facing one another with their hands locked around the other girl's forearms. They moved back and forth in an unsteady rhythm with their eyes closed, chanting mournful words into the smoke rising from incense burner between them.
After putting her hoverboard away as silently as she could manage Reese moved over to her bed to sit down a respectful distance away and watch. As the smoke from the incense burner slowed down so did the fervent prayers of the two chocolate skinned girls. Eventually their words came to a stop, they let go of each other's hands, and Arslan reached for her box of frankincense. Deft hands pulled a block out, and prepared to place it in the incense burner.
"Dude, are you going through the whole thing?" Reese slapped her hands over her mouth surprised at her own interruption.
Arslan paused in her movements, placed the frankincense back in the box, and heaved a heavy sigh, "Things went catastrophically wrong this morning."
"Do... Do you want to talk about it?" Reese asked.
"No," Arslan emphatically replied. "But I should. No. I must."
Realizing this would be a long talk Reese pulled off her boots so she could sit crosslegged on the bed.
Arslan stared off into the distance, while the stranger who was probably related to Arslan bore holes into the floor with her own glare. Silence hung hot and heavy in the air for the next few minutes as the Golden Lion of Haven Academy looked for the right place to begin.
"I almost became a murderer today," Arslan broke the silence in a trembling voice. "If I had accomplished what I set out to accomplish this morning twelve innocent souls would have been consigned to oblivion."
Reese suddenly felt rather inadequate for the conversation ahead, and she silently cursed the fact that Bolin and Nadir had headed off into the city proper for the day to help a bunch of boys from Shade smuggle booze onto school grounds for the party tonight. Bolin would be much batter at helping Arslan through an emotional crisis of this magnitude; and yet she was the one here, and needs must.
"What happened?" That was always a good place to start.
"This is Petra," Arslan began by introducing the stranger, "Daughter of Jaune Arc, and myself."
"Uhhh...." Reese blinked. Once. Twice. A third time. "That's logistically impossible."
"My friend Moses has a semblance that lets him travel through time," Petra spoke up in a voice that trembled as badly as Arslan's. "We were trying to figure out its' hard limits, and he didn't know if he could take another person with him. Well my sister got it into her head that supercharging his semblance would be a good idea for a prank, and so Moses and I ended up here, the day my Mother and Father first got to know each other personally instead of the day Moses was trying to take us to."
Reese knew Arslan was honest to a fault, and the vibes this Petra girl gave off were waaay too similar to Arslan's earnest honesty for Reese to dismiss the crazy talk as a lie. She'd roll with it for now, question the wider implications later when Arslan and Petra weren't drowning in regrets.
"How does time travel result in you two almost committing murder?" Reese pressed on.
"Mother and Father got to know each other at the party tonight, but fate isn't set in stone..." Petra began and then trailed off, apparently thinking hard about her next words.
"You're planning on going to the party tonight?" Reese asked Arslan with a raised eyebrow. Her team leader didn't drink, so why would she come?
"I was, because somebody has to make sure nobody takes advantage of your drunk carcass," Arslan replied with a halfhearted shrug. That made sense considering the last party Reese attended. Arslan went on, "Apparently the way the party was supposed to go involved Pyrrha Nikos getting blackout drunk, and then some punks from Shade tried to take advantage of her intoxicated state. I would intervene at the same time Jaune Arc does, and the two of us got to know each other during the resulting fistfight and as we carried Pyrrha to her bed where she could recover."
"But fate isn't set in stone," Petra picked up again having found her words, "And Father could have easily gotten closer to another woman tonight. Since Moses and I arrived before fate had been decided a paradox occurred and the children of the other women arrived with us. Moses told us to stay put while he looked for a way to get us home, to not have us interfere while history played itself out. We didn't listen, and we all set out to make sure fate picked us instead of anyone else."
Reese nodded to show she was following along, and the crazy sounding story was consistent enough to be real so far.
"Petra came to me and explained the situation," Arslan looked up to the ceiling as if she was looking at the sky beyond it. "And when I found out one of the other women was Pyrrha my vision became clouded..." A tone of self loathing took over her voice. "I saw an opportunity to fight my rival with neither of us holding anything back. Instead of seeking out my future husband to talk things out I sought out Pyrrha, and we fought. The other mothers came across out battle, and they fought. All of us seeking to end the lives of the other's children because I let my desire to prove myself worthy of being Pyrrha's rival overtake my common sense."
Mulling over Arslan's story Reese could sort of understand why her team leader was beating herself up over this. She was probably still missing context, but there was enough to start a real conversation now.
"Did anyone actually die?" The skater girl asked.
"No, thank the Divine," Arslan looked towards Reese. "Jaune Arc arrived and put a stop to things before they could get that far, and then Professor Goodwitch took us to Professor Ozpin. The Headmaster put things into perspective, and now I clearly see my sins."
And if the Headmaster was involved in that way the crazy story was defiantly real. Reese was glad she decided to roll with it instead of objecting to anything.
"And what are your sins?" Reese asked, hoping to see if her leader was blaming herself for anything that wasn't her fault.
"Firstly, I knowingly committed to a plan of action that would have ended the lives of a dozen children." Arslan counted off on her fingers, "Second, I sullied my rivalry by knowingly committing to a plan of action that would have ended the life of my rival's son. Thirdly, and most importantly, I knowingly committed to a plan of action that would have killed my husband's children. I attempted murder today, in three horrifying flavors." Arslan shut her eyes and shuddered, "And to top it all off I lead my daughter down the same path when she came to me for guidance, dragging us both to the gates of hell."
Reese already knew she wasn't qualified to be having this conversation. Heck, she wasn't sure Bolin was qualified either. Yet she was the one who was here, and needs must.
"But you haven't gone through the gates of hell yet," Reese began, and it felt like the right thing to say. "And nobody's dead yet, so what can you do to turn things around?"
Arslan and Petra shared a look of contemplation as they thought over Reese's question. The looks of despair slowly faded away, and Reese felt relief knowing she had asked the right thing.
"We must make restitution to those we harmed today," Arslan answered after fully mulling things over. "A tall task, but doable."
"Who do we start with, and how?" Petra asked.
"Let us start with your Father and my Husband, he would have lost the most if we succeeded," Arslan reasoned. "Then we will move on to Pyrrha, the violation of our rivalry was defiantly the most personal offense. Then the other mothers and your step-siblings."
"So we have the order, now we need the how," Petra noted.
Talking about the best way to apologize to someone? Now that was a conversation Reese was fully qualified for. "Do you know what kinds of foods they like?"
And so the hour continued with three young women brainstorming the ultimate apology tour.
The Battle's Aftermath: Emerald Moves In With JNPR While Amethyst Tells A Story.
AndrewJTalon
Experienced.
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Emerald Sustrai had lived a hard life. Growing up on the streets having to pickpocket for her next meal most days had hardened her into the woman she was now. If she hadn't learned how to steal, if she hadn't learned how to fight, if she hadn't learned how to kill she would have died years ago. The day Cinder Fall had taken her under her wing and promised she would never go hungry again had changed everything.
It was by Cinder's hand she was fed, she was clothed, she was sheltered. Through Cinder's indulgences Emerald had first experienced things resembling happiness in her life, and so she was willing to give her entirety to Cinder's every whim.
Having all of that ripped away in a short but terrifying chase through school grounds had been harrowing, and in many ways the only reason Emerald hadn't broken down from the sudden shock of it all was because her daughter was right there giving her tangible evidence that the moon would still rise even if Cinder wasn't there to hang it in the sky.
Amethyst was the only thing Emerald had left at this point, and now she needed to move mountains to keep her precious gemstone safe.
It was for that reason that Emerald chose to attach herself to Team JNPR when Headmaster Ozpin asked her where she wanted to spend the night. She needed to get as close to Jaune Arc as possible as quickly as possible in an emotional sense if he was going to chose her and her gemstone, and the Headmaster's question had given her the best opportunity she was going to get.
There was no question in Emerald's mind that the greatest obstacle to Amethyst's future was Pyrrha Nikos; as a member of Jaune Arc's team and his official partner the Invincible Girl had an ability to monopolize his time that none of the other competitors could hope to match. But now that she was going to be sharing a dorm room with JNPR for the foreseeable future Pyrrha's monopoly was effectively broken. She just needed to tread carefully and not give Pyrrha any reason to kick her out.
And Amethyst was working wonders in weaving the two of them into the dynamics of Team JNPR sans Jaune. Now that the imminent threat of temporal erasure no longer appeared to be breathing down her neck Amethyst had relaxed a great deal, and now as they were carrying the cots an other related supplies to JNPR's dorm room her daughter was chattering up a storm with her Auntie Nora.
Xander had volunteered to carry the cots, while the pillows and blankets had been divided between herself, Ren and Pyrrha, leaving Amethyst free to pull out her scroll to show Nora pictures as they walked.
"And I made this bracelet for your birthday last year! Or... err.. how many years from now? Anyways it was a year ago for me," Amethyst proudly displayed a picture of an absolutely gorgeous piece of jewelry made of pink gold and silver that Emerald's experienced eyes could immediately place as worth over a thousand Lien.
Apparently her daughter had an apprenticeship with one of Vale's most famous jewelers and she was already churning out professional pieces that any high society socialite would be happy to show off at the years biggest events. Amethyst flipped through her portfolio to many oohs and aahs from Nora. A set of earrings worn by Lisa Lavender at a new years gala, cufflinks worn by Shane The Boulder Jackson at charity dances hosted by the Vale Wrestlers League, a choker that Annalisa Rosecroft, last living claimant to the throne of Mistral, had worn while giving a speech at a Vytal Tournament.
Yet for every unrelated celebrity wearing her work there were more pieces made for family and friends. A set of anniversary rings made for her grandparents Nick and Isabell Arc, necklaces made for her biological aunts, bracelets for Nora, a tiara for Pyrrha, jewel encrusted brass knuckles for Yang, a rose shaped belt buckle for Ruby.
Seven complete sets of royal regalia for a Felix Belladonna, Blake's yet to be conceived kid brother and heir presumptive to the throne of Menagerie. Amethyst had a very obvious crush on the faunus boy who was a few years older than her that Emerald was having a hard time not finding adorable.
Not a single piece of Jewelry had been made for Cinder Fall.
With how violently her former mistress had blown up at Amethyst's presence Emerald knew she shouldn't have been surprised. While the lack of jewels didn't explicitly spell out that Cinder became her enemy in her daughter's timeline it certainly hinted at it. Knowing that the break was inevitable didn't make it hurt less, and in spite of herself she wanted to know more.
Though asking directly about how she got together with Jaune in front of Pyrrha seemed like a bad idea. The Invincible Girl had a fragile but politely neutral look on her face ever since they left the Headmaster's office, and Emerald didn't want to see what could cause hostility to break through that facade.
Still, there were certain rules of societal convention that could get her the answers she was looking for in a roundabout enough way to not provoke the champion's ire. Probably. And so when her daughter's portfolio presentation hit a lull Emerald spoke up and asked:
"How did your mother get together with Jaune, Xander?"
All eyes looked to the redheaded young man, who didn't take long to answer; "It's pretty straightforward actually. Mom had feelings for Dad since initiation on their second day here at Beacon. During the party that's supposed to happen tonight Mom got a bit tipsy and finally confessed to him. It took Dad a couple of days to process that confession, but by the end of the week he had admitted to himself that he returned Mom's feelings and they started going steady. That lead to the wedding, me, and all of my siblings."
He was right about it being straightforward, yet there was a beauty in its' simplicity. The uphill battle for her daughter's future was starting to look a bit steeper than it had a few minutes ago.
The rules of societal convention then kicked in: Xander had shared his story meaning it was now expected for Amethyst to share hers, and Pyrrha couldn't get mad about it.
"Mom and Dad only told me a fanciful bedtime story about how they got together, never the real thing," Amethyst began. "It starts out with Mom completely wrapped around the finger of a Warlock." Oh dear. They never even mentioned Cinder's name to Amethyst? Why? "Like Mom was practically the Warlock's slave but she didn't realize it because the Warlock tricked her into thinking it cared for her, and so she cared for the Warlock. Then one day Mom and the Warlock had to attend a party for appearances sake. There were drinks at the party that made people tell the truth, and so Mom drank a few and told the Warlock how she felt about them, and that made the Warlock very upset because it couldn't continue its' lie with all the truth drinks it had had. So the Warlock let mom know how it really felt, and Mom ran off in tears."
Even in with the way the story abstracted its' details Emerald felt a sting in her heart. Unaware of the silent pain her mother was feeling, Amethyst carried on:
"Now Mom's spat with the Warlock was pretty noticeable cause it happened right in the middle of everything, and it kind of killed the party so everyone left. Dad came across Mom and he tried to cheer her up. Not knowing what to do without the Warlock Mom latched onto him and things looked like they were going to be alright. Then the Warlock stumbled across them."
At this point of the retelling Amethyst had put away her scroll and she began gesturing dramatically with her arms, "Now even though the Warlock didn't want to be with Mom the way Mom had wanted to be with it it didn't want her to be with someone else, so when it saw Mom holding onto Dad it got super angry and tried to kill them. There was a really big fight that got all of my honorary aunts and uncles involved and Dad saved Mom's life like, five times. It all ended with Auntie Nora caving the Warlock's skull in, and then Auntie Ruby killed the weird bug-thing that came crawling out of the Warlock's corpse."
Well that answered why Cinder wasn't given a proper name in the story. Emerald forced herself to keep pace and forced herself not to cry. Cinder didn't really care about her, she proved that today when she tried to murder her and Amethyst. Hearing about her die shouldn't be making her upset. It shouldn't!
"With the Warlock dead its' spells were lifted off of Mom, but without them Mom didn't know what to do and she fell apart. Dad helped Mom put herself back together and that's how they fell in love, The End!" Amethyst concluded as they turned down the final hallway leading to JNPR's dorm room. Like all eager story tellers Amethyst looked about her audience to see how her childhood story was received. It was at that point she noticed the haunted look on her mother's face.
"Mom, are you okay?" Amethyst asked in a deeply concerned tone. Emerald swallowed and bit back tears. "Mom, it's just the story you told me before bed why are you..." Amethyst came to a complete stop as her eyes widened in realization. "...the story was real."
Emerald nodded. Amethyst's mind finally made a connection with events earlier in the day.
"Oh Gods, that scary fire lady was the Warlock, wasn't she? The Warlock's real and the Warlock's not dead And The WARLOCK WANTS US DEAD!" Amethyst grabbed Emerald and pulled her so they were both 'hidden' behind Nora, her eyes darting wildly about with all the terror of someone who realized their childhood boogyman was real and out to get them.
"Don't worry kid," Nora boasted, "If I crushed their Skull Once I CAN CRUSH IT AGIAN!"
Emerald looked at the others present as she wrapped Amethyst up in a comforting hug. Ren was radiating a calm confidence as he opened up the door to JNPR's dorm room. Emerald wished she could borrow that calm instead of dealing with the contradictory emotions rolling about within her. Xander stood with all the strength of a mountain, like he didn't fear the prospect of Cinder returning. If only she could be that confident in her own strength.
Pyrrha was looking at them with a conflicted mixture of wariness and sympathy. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and when she opened them she was all sympathy and confidence.
"Amethyst," Pyrrha reached out a hand and placed in on the trembling girl's arm, "Cinder would have to go through all of us to hurt you. You're going to be safe here."
It took a few moments for Amethyst to calm down, but she did. They got into the dorm room and placed the cots and blankets down. Emerald still felt out of sorts, but she could work with this.
Amethyst's story was true. That meant Jaune Arc could put her back together again as long as she was willing to let him. Things would be okay...
...so long as she didn't do anything that would convince Pyrrha to kick them out. She'd manage. She was used to placating women who were more powerful than her.
"Should we set up the cots now or should we do that when we're ready to turn in for the day?" Xander asked.
Nora looked towards Emerald and Amethyst. "It's almost lunchtime and I think they could use some good grub to take their minds off things."
"And setting things up later means we can ask Jaune where he thinks the cots would fit best," Ren noted.
"Alright then," Pyrrha agreed, "Let's get ready for lunch."
It was by Cinder's hand she was fed, she was clothed, she was sheltered. Through Cinder's indulgences Emerald had first experienced things resembling happiness in her life, and so she was willing to give her entirety to Cinder's every whim.
Having all of that ripped away in a short but terrifying chase through school grounds had been harrowing, and in many ways the only reason Emerald hadn't broken down from the sudden shock of it all was because her daughter was right there giving her tangible evidence that the moon would still rise even if Cinder wasn't there to hang it in the sky.
Amethyst was the only thing Emerald had left at this point, and now she needed to move mountains to keep her precious gemstone safe.
It was for that reason that Emerald chose to attach herself to Team JNPR when Headmaster Ozpin asked her where she wanted to spend the night. She needed to get as close to Jaune Arc as possible as quickly as possible in an emotional sense if he was going to chose her and her gemstone, and the Headmaster's question had given her the best opportunity she was going to get.
There was no question in Emerald's mind that the greatest obstacle to Amethyst's future was Pyrrha Nikos; as a member of Jaune Arc's team and his official partner the Invincible Girl had an ability to monopolize his time that none of the other competitors could hope to match. But now that she was going to be sharing a dorm room with JNPR for the foreseeable future Pyrrha's monopoly was effectively broken. She just needed to tread carefully and not give Pyrrha any reason to kick her out.
And Amethyst was working wonders in weaving the two of them into the dynamics of Team JNPR sans Jaune. Now that the imminent threat of temporal erasure no longer appeared to be breathing down her neck Amethyst had relaxed a great deal, and now as they were carrying the cots an other related supplies to JNPR's dorm room her daughter was chattering up a storm with her Auntie Nora.
Xander had volunteered to carry the cots, while the pillows and blankets had been divided between herself, Ren and Pyrrha, leaving Amethyst free to pull out her scroll to show Nora pictures as they walked.
"And I made this bracelet for your birthday last year! Or... err.. how many years from now? Anyways it was a year ago for me," Amethyst proudly displayed a picture of an absolutely gorgeous piece of jewelry made of pink gold and silver that Emerald's experienced eyes could immediately place as worth over a thousand Lien.
Apparently her daughter had an apprenticeship with one of Vale's most famous jewelers and she was already churning out professional pieces that any high society socialite would be happy to show off at the years biggest events. Amethyst flipped through her portfolio to many oohs and aahs from Nora. A set of earrings worn by Lisa Lavender at a new years gala, cufflinks worn by Shane The Boulder Jackson at charity dances hosted by the Vale Wrestlers League, a choker that Annalisa Rosecroft, last living claimant to the throne of Mistral, had worn while giving a speech at a Vytal Tournament.
Yet for every unrelated celebrity wearing her work there were more pieces made for family and friends. A set of anniversary rings made for her grandparents Nick and Isabell Arc, necklaces made for her biological aunts, bracelets for Nora, a tiara for Pyrrha, jewel encrusted brass knuckles for Yang, a rose shaped belt buckle for Ruby.
Seven complete sets of royal regalia for a Felix Belladonna, Blake's yet to be conceived kid brother and heir presumptive to the throne of Menagerie. Amethyst had a very obvious crush on the faunus boy who was a few years older than her that Emerald was having a hard time not finding adorable.
Not a single piece of Jewelry had been made for Cinder Fall.
With how violently her former mistress had blown up at Amethyst's presence Emerald knew she shouldn't have been surprised. While the lack of jewels didn't explicitly spell out that Cinder became her enemy in her daughter's timeline it certainly hinted at it. Knowing that the break was inevitable didn't make it hurt less, and in spite of herself she wanted to know more.
Though asking directly about how she got together with Jaune in front of Pyrrha seemed like a bad idea. The Invincible Girl had a fragile but politely neutral look on her face ever since they left the Headmaster's office, and Emerald didn't want to see what could cause hostility to break through that facade.
Still, there were certain rules of societal convention that could get her the answers she was looking for in a roundabout enough way to not provoke the champion's ire. Probably. And so when her daughter's portfolio presentation hit a lull Emerald spoke up and asked:
"How did your mother get together with Jaune, Xander?"
All eyes looked to the redheaded young man, who didn't take long to answer; "It's pretty straightforward actually. Mom had feelings for Dad since initiation on their second day here at Beacon. During the party that's supposed to happen tonight Mom got a bit tipsy and finally confessed to him. It took Dad a couple of days to process that confession, but by the end of the week he had admitted to himself that he returned Mom's feelings and they started going steady. That lead to the wedding, me, and all of my siblings."
He was right about it being straightforward, yet there was a beauty in its' simplicity. The uphill battle for her daughter's future was starting to look a bit steeper than it had a few minutes ago.
The rules of societal convention then kicked in: Xander had shared his story meaning it was now expected for Amethyst to share hers, and Pyrrha couldn't get mad about it.
"Mom and Dad only told me a fanciful bedtime story about how they got together, never the real thing," Amethyst began. "It starts out with Mom completely wrapped around the finger of a Warlock." Oh dear. They never even mentioned Cinder's name to Amethyst? Why? "Like Mom was practically the Warlock's slave but she didn't realize it because the Warlock tricked her into thinking it cared for her, and so she cared for the Warlock. Then one day Mom and the Warlock had to attend a party for appearances sake. There were drinks at the party that made people tell the truth, and so Mom drank a few and told the Warlock how she felt about them, and that made the Warlock very upset because it couldn't continue its' lie with all the truth drinks it had had. So the Warlock let mom know how it really felt, and Mom ran off in tears."
Even in with the way the story abstracted its' details Emerald felt a sting in her heart. Unaware of the silent pain her mother was feeling, Amethyst carried on:
"Now Mom's spat with the Warlock was pretty noticeable cause it happened right in the middle of everything, and it kind of killed the party so everyone left. Dad came across Mom and he tried to cheer her up. Not knowing what to do without the Warlock Mom latched onto him and things looked like they were going to be alright. Then the Warlock stumbled across them."
At this point of the retelling Amethyst had put away her scroll and she began gesturing dramatically with her arms, "Now even though the Warlock didn't want to be with Mom the way Mom had wanted to be with it it didn't want her to be with someone else, so when it saw Mom holding onto Dad it got super angry and tried to kill them. There was a really big fight that got all of my honorary aunts and uncles involved and Dad saved Mom's life like, five times. It all ended with Auntie Nora caving the Warlock's skull in, and then Auntie Ruby killed the weird bug-thing that came crawling out of the Warlock's corpse."
Well that answered why Cinder wasn't given a proper name in the story. Emerald forced herself to keep pace and forced herself not to cry. Cinder didn't really care about her, she proved that today when she tried to murder her and Amethyst. Hearing about her die shouldn't be making her upset. It shouldn't!
"With the Warlock dead its' spells were lifted off of Mom, but without them Mom didn't know what to do and she fell apart. Dad helped Mom put herself back together and that's how they fell in love, The End!" Amethyst concluded as they turned down the final hallway leading to JNPR's dorm room. Like all eager story tellers Amethyst looked about her audience to see how her childhood story was received. It was at that point she noticed the haunted look on her mother's face.
"Mom, are you okay?" Amethyst asked in a deeply concerned tone. Emerald swallowed and bit back tears. "Mom, it's just the story you told me before bed why are you..." Amethyst came to a complete stop as her eyes widened in realization. "...the story was real."
Emerald nodded. Amethyst's mind finally made a connection with events earlier in the day.
"Oh Gods, that scary fire lady was the Warlock, wasn't she? The Warlock's real and the Warlock's not dead And The WARLOCK WANTS US DEAD!" Amethyst grabbed Emerald and pulled her so they were both 'hidden' behind Nora, her eyes darting wildly about with all the terror of someone who realized their childhood boogyman was real and out to get them.
"Don't worry kid," Nora boasted, "If I crushed their Skull Once I CAN CRUSH IT AGIAN!"
Emerald looked at the others present as she wrapped Amethyst up in a comforting hug. Ren was radiating a calm confidence as he opened up the door to JNPR's dorm room. Emerald wished she could borrow that calm instead of dealing with the contradictory emotions rolling about within her. Xander stood with all the strength of a mountain, like he didn't fear the prospect of Cinder returning. If only she could be that confident in her own strength.
Pyrrha was looking at them with a conflicted mixture of wariness and sympathy. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and when she opened them she was all sympathy and confidence.
"Amethyst," Pyrrha reached out a hand and placed in on the trembling girl's arm, "Cinder would have to go through all of us to hurt you. You're going to be safe here."
It took a few moments for Amethyst to calm down, but she did. They got into the dorm room and placed the cots and blankets down. Emerald still felt out of sorts, but she could work with this.
Amethyst's story was true. That meant Jaune Arc could put her back together again as long as she was willing to let him. Things would be okay...
...so long as she didn't do anything that would convince Pyrrha to kick them out. She'd manage. She was used to placating women who were more powerful than her.
"Should we set up the cots now or should we do that when we're ready to turn in for the day?" Xander asked.
Nora looked towards Emerald and Amethyst. "It's almost lunchtime and I think they could use some good grub to take their minds off things."
"And setting things up later means we can ask Jaune where he thinks the cots would fit best," Ren noted.
"Alright then," Pyrrha agreed, "Let's get ready for lunch."
Aftermath: Jaune and Ruby have a Heart to Heart
AndrewJTalon
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- - -
Jaune had taken his lunch alone. Between his future children, his future potential brides, and everything else? He'd felt more than a little overwhelmed.
Even Pyrrha, his partner, wasn't really an option to talk to because... Well, she was directly involved.
Ren and Nora were trying to help corral their "nieces and nephews". Everyone's eyes were on him.
It didn't look like anyone was going to be erased from existence, which was a Gods send... But even so...
"Hey, Vomit Boy."
Jaune jerked his head up and stared at Ruby. She stood there awkwardly under the same tree he'd picked out for lunch. He managed a small smile back.
"Hey Crater Face."
Ruby fidgeted.
"Can... Can I sit here?" She asked quietly. Jaune nodded.
"Sure."
She sank down next to him, leaving a tree trunk between them. Probably as much for her as it was for him. They looked anywhere but directly at one another for a few minutes, as Jaune chewed on an apple.
Finally, Ruby spoke:
"I'm really sorry about-"
"No! No, it's... It's fine," Jaune said quietly. He shook his head. "Hell... If my future kid had come up to me and begged me to help. I might have flown off the handle too. I've seen enough comics and films about it."
"Y-Yeah," Ruby said, smiling nervously, "I just... It's family, ya know?"
Jaune nodded.
"Yeah."
Ruby sucked in a deep breath and contemplated her next words for a moment before she resumed speaking.
"I never knew my mother. I mean, not really. She died when I was a baby, so I... I don't really remember anything."
"Ruby," Jaune murmured, looking at his best female friend in sympathy. She smiled back at him, tinged with sadness.
"Yang was... Yang kind of became my mom, as weird as that sounds," she admitted, "And I... I mean... I'm not really great at talking to people. I-I don't blame her! It's not her fault. She did her best, but... I don't really understand romance. I-I mean, it... I like the idea of it but I don't really get it, you know? Outside of stories and stuff."
Jaune nodded slowly.
"I... I mean, I did date a few girls back in Radian," Jaune admitted. At Ruby's raised eyebrows, he quickly added: "They never went anywhere. My sisters and parents are super protective. But I... Yeah. I don't really have much experience with... With the kind of love where you want to spend the rest of your lives together. Have a family."
"If you could date though," Ruby said, "Why did you go after Weiss? I-I mean..." She blushed. "We... We hang out. We did go to the comic book shop, the coffee shop... Stuff like that. You and Pyrrha... I-I mean..."
Jaune let out a long sigh. He stared at the cloudy sky for a moment.
"... I think... I think I just set myself up for failure," he admitted. "I mean... I know what everyone thinks of me. The dead last, the weak link. Even if I'd known you or Pyrrha or... Or hell, any of you amazing girls could care for me..." He shook his head.
"I don't think I would believe it," he said quietly. Ruby frowned and reached out to rest a hand on his shoulder.
"Jaune..."
"Hell, in one timeline, I end up with Cinder," Jaune snorted, "Who was planning a horrible terrorist attack on Vytal! She burned her own children, Ruby!"
He sighed.
"And yet... They all look to me like I did my father. For... For strength. For support. For reassurance that-that everything's gonna be okay! I... How am I supposed to handle any of that? I barely manage myself in combat class, and yet I..."
Ruby reached out and took his hand in hers. She blushed, but she kept her voice steady.
"Jaune... You're just new at this," she stated. "In every timeline, in every conversation I overheard... With everything Julian told me? You become amazing. Like, we all do, but you? You become a great soldier, a great leader. Someone who-Who takes command, who stays calm! All your kids respect you! You're rough around the edges now, but this... This is proof you're gonna be a great guy!"
She smiled warmly.
"And... And you didn't need to be a great fighter for me to like you."
Jaune stared at her, touched.
"Ruby..."
"I-I mean, I don't know if what I feel is... Is love," Ruby admitted, "Like, lovey-dovey. I just know... If I had to pick someone to spend the rest of my life with? I'd pick my best friend."
Jaune smiled back warmly.
"Ruby... Thank you," he said with a nod.
"It's gonna be tough," Ruby admitted, "But... But I believe in you, Jaune. You believe in me, right?"
"Of course I do," Jaune said, shocked. "Why would you think otherwise-?"
"I did try to shoot my sister and friends over our time travelling kids," Ruby said with a blush. Jaune sighed and smiled.
"Like I said? It could happen to anyone..."
"Then... We'll get through this together," Ruby said firmly. She blushed and pulled her hand away.
"N-Not that I'm trying to get an edge on the others! I-I promise! I wasn't thinking of pulling you into a closet or-or anything!"
Jaune blinked... Then laughed quietly.
"Thanks Ruby. I really needed that laugh."
Ruby laughed with him, though hers was a tad more nervous than usual. Eh, he'd take it one step at a time...
- - -
Jaune had taken his lunch alone. Between his future children, his future potential brides, and everything else? He'd felt more than a little overwhelmed.
Even Pyrrha, his partner, wasn't really an option to talk to because... Well, she was directly involved.
Ren and Nora were trying to help corral their "nieces and nephews". Everyone's eyes were on him.
It didn't look like anyone was going to be erased from existence, which was a Gods send... But even so...
"Hey, Vomit Boy."
Jaune jerked his head up and stared at Ruby. She stood there awkwardly under the same tree he'd picked out for lunch. He managed a small smile back.
"Hey Crater Face."
Ruby fidgeted.
"Can... Can I sit here?" She asked quietly. Jaune nodded.
"Sure."
She sank down next to him, leaving a tree trunk between them. Probably as much for her as it was for him. They looked anywhere but directly at one another for a few minutes, as Jaune chewed on an apple.
Finally, Ruby spoke:
"I'm really sorry about-"
"No! No, it's... It's fine," Jaune said quietly. He shook his head. "Hell... If my future kid had come up to me and begged me to help. I might have flown off the handle too. I've seen enough comics and films about it."
"Y-Yeah," Ruby said, smiling nervously, "I just... It's family, ya know?"
Jaune nodded.
"Yeah."
Ruby sucked in a deep breath and contemplated her next words for a moment before she resumed speaking.
"I never knew my mother. I mean, not really. She died when I was a baby, so I... I don't really remember anything."
"Ruby," Jaune murmured, looking at his best female friend in sympathy. She smiled back at him, tinged with sadness.
"Yang was... Yang kind of became my mom, as weird as that sounds," she admitted, "And I... I mean... I'm not really great at talking to people. I-I don't blame her! It's not her fault. She did her best, but... I don't really understand romance. I-I mean, it... I like the idea of it but I don't really get it, you know? Outside of stories and stuff."
Jaune nodded slowly.
"I... I mean, I did date a few girls back in Radian," Jaune admitted. At Ruby's raised eyebrows, he quickly added: "They never went anywhere. My sisters and parents are super protective. But I... Yeah. I don't really have much experience with... With the kind of love where you want to spend the rest of your lives together. Have a family."
"If you could date though," Ruby said, "Why did you go after Weiss? I-I mean..." She blushed. "We... We hang out. We did go to the comic book shop, the coffee shop... Stuff like that. You and Pyrrha... I-I mean..."
Jaune let out a long sigh. He stared at the cloudy sky for a moment.
"... I think... I think I just set myself up for failure," he admitted. "I mean... I know what everyone thinks of me. The dead last, the weak link. Even if I'd known you or Pyrrha or... Or hell, any of you amazing girls could care for me..." He shook his head.
"I don't think I would believe it," he said quietly. Ruby frowned and reached out to rest a hand on his shoulder.
"Jaune..."
"Hell, in one timeline, I end up with Cinder," Jaune snorted, "Who was planning a horrible terrorist attack on Vytal! She burned her own children, Ruby!"
He sighed.
"And yet... They all look to me like I did my father. For... For strength. For support. For reassurance that-that everything's gonna be okay! I... How am I supposed to handle any of that? I barely manage myself in combat class, and yet I..."
Ruby reached out and took his hand in hers. She blushed, but she kept her voice steady.
"Jaune... You're just new at this," she stated. "In every timeline, in every conversation I overheard... With everything Julian told me? You become amazing. Like, we all do, but you? You become a great soldier, a great leader. Someone who-Who takes command, who stays calm! All your kids respect you! You're rough around the edges now, but this... This is proof you're gonna be a great guy!"
She smiled warmly.
"And... And you didn't need to be a great fighter for me to like you."
Jaune stared at her, touched.
"Ruby..."
"I-I mean, I don't know if what I feel is... Is love," Ruby admitted, "Like, lovey-dovey. I just know... If I had to pick someone to spend the rest of my life with? I'd pick my best friend."
Jaune smiled back warmly.
"Ruby... Thank you," he said with a nod.
"It's gonna be tough," Ruby admitted, "But... But I believe in you, Jaune. You believe in me, right?"
"Of course I do," Jaune said, shocked. "Why would you think otherwise-?"
"I did try to shoot my sister and friends over our time travelling kids," Ruby said with a blush. Jaune sighed and smiled.
"Like I said? It could happen to anyone..."
"Then... We'll get through this together," Ruby said firmly. She blushed and pulled her hand away.
"N-Not that I'm trying to get an edge on the others! I-I promise! I wasn't thinking of pulling you into a closet or-or anything!"
Jaune blinked... Then laughed quietly.
"Thanks Ruby. I really needed that laugh."
Ruby laughed with him, though hers was a tad more nervous than usual. Eh, he'd take it one step at a time...
- - -
Weiss Reflects On Things And Has An Important Talk
AndrewJTalon
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Weiss Schnee, heiress to the richest family on Remnant and capable Huntress-in-training, sat alone in the Elphaba Memorial Garden near a fountain, forming snowflakes with her Glyph and some Ice Dust. She made them float up in the air, then sent them flying off, drifting into the flower beds and onto the marble columns.
She heard footsteps behind her. She didn't bother looking up-She could sense who it was.
"Mom," Nicholas greeted.
She didn't answer. Nicholas walked up, and sat down next to her. She formed a small ice figure on the surface of the pond, and made it spin before letting it drift off. She sighed quietly.
"Do I still do this in the future?" She asked.
"I mean... You did it during bathtime," Nicholas said, "And pool days... To make us smile."
Weiss bowed her head.
"... Did... Did you always do it when you were sad?" Nicholas asked quietly.
Weiss sighed.
"... Now? Yeah," she admitted.
"Mom, come on," Nicholas said with a smile, "You're the one who told me it was never as bad as it seemed-"
Weiss formed an ice figure, and broke it in half. She let out a long, angry sigh.
"Your mother's a lot smarter than me," she stated bitterly, "A lot better than I'll ever be."
"What do you mean?" Nicholas asked, deeply concerned. He reached out a hand to rest on her shoulder... But she shrugged him off and stood up. She looked at her son, her face a mixture of anger and sorrow.
"He... He pursued me," Weiss admitted, "He kept trying to impress me, to get me to go on a date with him! Over and over and over when we started! And I... I...!"
She looked down at the fountain, away from her son's eyes.
"... I thought he was a dolt. A weakling. An idiot. A loser. S-Some jerk only after me for my money or family name," she admitted. She sighed heavily. "Then I fell for... For some slick jerk's flattery!"
"Uncle Neptune?" Nicholas asked. Weiss gaped at her son.
"Wha-You know him-?!"
"Y-Yeah, he's uh... He's kind of a weirdo," Nicholas admitted, "Still single, always going on dates and partying... He's also going bald."
Weiss snorted.
"Serves him right!" She scoffed. She shook her head. "The thing is... He couldn't dance. He asked me to the dance and he was afraid to dance with me. Your father told him off and made him go dance with me... All just to make me happy! H-He could have swooped in and tried to make a play, but he didn't. He did that... For me."
"Yeah!" Nicholas said with a smile and nod, "You told me about this! You realized Dad was a good guy and-"
"And I blew it afterward!" Weiss cried. She fought back her tears as much as she could. "I-I screwed it all up! I acted like a bitch to him afterward, even after I realized what a creep Neptune was! I..." She bowed her head.
"I could have had him... If I hadn't been such an idiot, I-I could have...!"
She looked at Nicholas, her eyes filled with sorrow and regret.
"Nick... I-I'm so sorry... Your mother's an idiot," she whispered. "He'd never want me. He'd never want to date me. Not after what I did to him... How I treated him... Your mother is so much better than me... I-I don't know if I'll ever be that woman for you. For your siblings... For anyone."
She saw Nicholas' eyes go wide at something behind her. Weiss turned... And gaped. Jaune Arc himself was standing there. Ruby was alongside him, looking concerned and a little guilty.
"J-Jaune, I..." Weiss opened and closed her mouth. "I... How much-?"
"All of it," Jaune said quietly. Weiss bowed her head.
"I... I'm sorry-"
"Don't," Jaune said firmly. Weiss started, and looked into his eyes. Jaune slowly shook his head.
"Look Weiss," he said, "I was... I was a dolt, okay? A complete idiot. I didn't think about your feelings at all. Hell..." He smiled wryly. "I think on some level... I expected I'd get rejected by you. What could you see in me? I just... I wanted to prove myself so badly..."
He shook his head slowly.
"That wasn't fair to you, okay?" He said. "So... So for what it's worth? I'm sorry I was such an idiot. And," He looked to Nicholas with a smile, "I think you're a lucky kid. To have two amazing parents who figured themselves out."
Nicholas nodded firmly.
"I am," he said. Weiss sniffled a little. Ruby smiled at Weiss warmly.
"For what it's worth, I'm really sorry I shot you," she said.
Typical Ruby apology, Weiss thought dryly, but it did make her smile a little.
"Um... Well... Same," Weiss said with a slow nod back.
A burst of yellow and silver petals heralded the arrival of Julian, who looked similarly chagrined.
"Er... Sorry I shot you guys too," he said, rubbing the back of his head. He looked at Jaune with a grin. "You always said to say your sorries and thank yous, Dad. I wanted to get them out of the way."
"Right," Nicholas nodded, "Sorry I got you in that lightning trap."
Julian smirked.
"Ha! You didn't get me!"
Nicholas scowled.
"I did too-!"
"Boys! Cut it out!" Ruby scolded them.
"Sorry," they both said.
"Good," Jaune said with a smile. "Do that to everyone else you shot or trapped, too."
"Yes Dad!" Julian said cheerfully.
"Yes Dad," Nicholas said, more respectfully.
"And we'll bake cookies for everyone, too," Ruby added. "Sugary apologies!"
"WOOHOO!" Julian cheered. Nicholas sighed.
"Same old Aunt Ruby," he murmured, though he said it with a fond smile.
Weiss stared intently at Jaune. He caught her looking and frowned.
"What? Something on my face?"
Weiss shook her head with a small smile.
"No," she said, "Just... Thinking."
When he looked away, she blushed softly as she studied his features.
Maybe marrying this idiot wouldn't be so bad, she thought, At the very least... He'll keep his hair.
She heard footsteps behind her. She didn't bother looking up-She could sense who it was.
"Mom," Nicholas greeted.
She didn't answer. Nicholas walked up, and sat down next to her. She formed a small ice figure on the surface of the pond, and made it spin before letting it drift off. She sighed quietly.
"Do I still do this in the future?" She asked.
"I mean... You did it during bathtime," Nicholas said, "And pool days... To make us smile."
Weiss bowed her head.
"... Did... Did you always do it when you were sad?" Nicholas asked quietly.
Weiss sighed.
"... Now? Yeah," she admitted.
"Mom, come on," Nicholas said with a smile, "You're the one who told me it was never as bad as it seemed-"
Weiss formed an ice figure, and broke it in half. She let out a long, angry sigh.
"Your mother's a lot smarter than me," she stated bitterly, "A lot better than I'll ever be."
"What do you mean?" Nicholas asked, deeply concerned. He reached out a hand to rest on her shoulder... But she shrugged him off and stood up. She looked at her son, her face a mixture of anger and sorrow.
"He... He pursued me," Weiss admitted, "He kept trying to impress me, to get me to go on a date with him! Over and over and over when we started! And I... I...!"
She looked down at the fountain, away from her son's eyes.
"... I thought he was a dolt. A weakling. An idiot. A loser. S-Some jerk only after me for my money or family name," she admitted. She sighed heavily. "Then I fell for... For some slick jerk's flattery!"
"Uncle Neptune?" Nicholas asked. Weiss gaped at her son.
"Wha-You know him-?!"
"Y-Yeah, he's uh... He's kind of a weirdo," Nicholas admitted, "Still single, always going on dates and partying... He's also going bald."
Weiss snorted.
"Serves him right!" She scoffed. She shook her head. "The thing is... He couldn't dance. He asked me to the dance and he was afraid to dance with me. Your father told him off and made him go dance with me... All just to make me happy! H-He could have swooped in and tried to make a play, but he didn't. He did that... For me."
"Yeah!" Nicholas said with a smile and nod, "You told me about this! You realized Dad was a good guy and-"
"And I blew it afterward!" Weiss cried. She fought back her tears as much as she could. "I-I screwed it all up! I acted like a bitch to him afterward, even after I realized what a creep Neptune was! I..." She bowed her head.
"I could have had him... If I hadn't been such an idiot, I-I could have...!"
She looked at Nicholas, her eyes filled with sorrow and regret.
"Nick... I-I'm so sorry... Your mother's an idiot," she whispered. "He'd never want me. He'd never want to date me. Not after what I did to him... How I treated him... Your mother is so much better than me... I-I don't know if I'll ever be that woman for you. For your siblings... For anyone."
She saw Nicholas' eyes go wide at something behind her. Weiss turned... And gaped. Jaune Arc himself was standing there. Ruby was alongside him, looking concerned and a little guilty.
"J-Jaune, I..." Weiss opened and closed her mouth. "I... How much-?"
"All of it," Jaune said quietly. Weiss bowed her head.
"I... I'm sorry-"
"Don't," Jaune said firmly. Weiss started, and looked into his eyes. Jaune slowly shook his head.
"Look Weiss," he said, "I was... I was a dolt, okay? A complete idiot. I didn't think about your feelings at all. Hell..." He smiled wryly. "I think on some level... I expected I'd get rejected by you. What could you see in me? I just... I wanted to prove myself so badly..."
He shook his head slowly.
"That wasn't fair to you, okay?" He said. "So... So for what it's worth? I'm sorry I was such an idiot. And," He looked to Nicholas with a smile, "I think you're a lucky kid. To have two amazing parents who figured themselves out."
Nicholas nodded firmly.
"I am," he said. Weiss sniffled a little. Ruby smiled at Weiss warmly.
"For what it's worth, I'm really sorry I shot you," she said.
Typical Ruby apology, Weiss thought dryly, but it did make her smile a little.
"Um... Well... Same," Weiss said with a slow nod back.
A burst of yellow and silver petals heralded the arrival of Julian, who looked similarly chagrined.
"Er... Sorry I shot you guys too," he said, rubbing the back of his head. He looked at Jaune with a grin. "You always said to say your sorries and thank yous, Dad. I wanted to get them out of the way."
"Right," Nicholas nodded, "Sorry I got you in that lightning trap."
Julian smirked.
"Ha! You didn't get me!"
Nicholas scowled.
"I did too-!"
"Boys! Cut it out!" Ruby scolded them.
"Sorry," they both said.
"Good," Jaune said with a smile. "Do that to everyone else you shot or trapped, too."
"Yes Dad!" Julian said cheerfully.
"Yes Dad," Nicholas said, more respectfully.
"And we'll bake cookies for everyone, too," Ruby added. "Sugary apologies!"
"WOOHOO!" Julian cheered. Nicholas sighed.
"Same old Aunt Ruby," he murmured, though he said it with a fond smile.
Weiss stared intently at Jaune. He caught her looking and frowned.
"What? Something on my face?"
Weiss shook her head with a small smile.
"No," she said, "Just... Thinking."
When he looked away, she blushed softly as she studied his features.
Maybe marrying this idiot wouldn't be so bad, she thought, At the very least... He'll keep his hair.
Blake's Twins Explain Some Things To Her. By Sift Green
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To say Blake Belladonna had a lot on her mind was an understatement. So it should have come as no surprise that she had retreated to the best thinking spot she had found in Beacon's Library; a little side room her team had used to study on more than one occasion. Like those past study sessions Blake wasn't alone, her twins were also with her though they were doing more reading than pondering at the moment.
Leander had a book on meditation and motorcycle maintenance, while Leandra's book dealt with how the migrations of normal animals affected the migrations of Grimm.
In the companionable silence Blake put her mind to work. She needed to talk with Jaune. Preferably one on one. No, definitely one on one. What would she say? No. Don't overthink that part. Jaune was patient enough for her to figure that part out in the moment so long as nobody interrupted them. So she just needed to figure out a time and place to get Jaune alone. The roof? No, Pyrrha would interrupt them there. The dock by the river? Too public. Here in the library? No, all of her friends knew this spot. Off campus then.
As her mind raced through the places she new in the city of Vale her thoughts started to veer further and further afield. Thoughts about getting Jaune alone had already lead to her getting Jaune out of the school, then they drifted off to getting Jaune out of the city. Then the country. Then the continent. Before she knew it she had her scroll out looking at ticket prices for trains, boats and airships.
Jaune got airsick easily, so that meant airships should be a last resort. There was a cargo ship leaving the port of South Harbor in two days heading for Menagerie and making port close to Kuo Kuana. Once there she could take Jaune to her family home and they could lock themselves in the pantry and then nobody would be able to interrupt them! She just needed to figure out the train schedule between Vale and South Harbor and figure out if she was buying tickets or if they were stowing away and tickets for four would cost her...
Leander looked up from his book and saw the look on his mother's face. "Ah shoot," He muttered before elbowing his sister and saying "Leandra, Mom got bit by The Good Idea Fairy."
Leandra closed her book and sighed, "I'll go get Dad."
"Wait!" Blake looked up and grabbed her children's wrists. I'm not ready to talk with him, is what she thought. "I haven't figured out our itinerary yet!" Is what came out of her mouth.
"Itinerary?" Leandra asked.
"To get us all to Kuo Kuana!" Blake's mouth was really running before she was thinking today.
"We're not kidnaping Dad, Mom." Leander looked at his Mother with a glare.
"You kidnaped Ilia!" Blake objected.
"We Were Panicking!" Leander explained in an adamant tone, "We were panicking and went with the first plan we came up with! That doesn't change the fact that it was a horrible plan that could have blown up on us at any moment! There's a reason Dad does the planning Mom! Cause when we don't think things through there are all kinds of unintended consequences!"
--------------------
In the dorm that had been assigned to him Sun Wukong was doing his best to relax against the headboard of his bed and read the space opera comic book he had bought earlier in the week. A task made significantly more difficult by the tightly bound woman next to him doing everything in her limited power to snuggle up close to him.
"Can I untie you now?" Sun glanced her way.
"No!" Ilia barked.
Sun closed his eyes, and counted down from ten. Once he reached one he stood up and said in his best team leader voice; "Alright, this is what's gonna happen. I'm going to untie you. We're going to head into town and check out that bowling alley that opened up last week. We're going to have a normal conversation while we play a normal game and hang out like normal people. Afterwords we'll visit the mom and pop burger joint I've been eyeing up since I got to Vale, where we will sit down and eat a normal meal and talk to each other like normal people. Got it?"
"Oh-Okay," Ilia squeaked as her skin changed from one interesting shade of pink to another interesting shade of pink. Sun being so gentle had been doing things to her, him switching to an authoritative tone while still showing care was doing different things for her.
Sun reached down and started to undo the knots around her arms. Soon she was free enough to stand, and she followed him to the door.
"Umm... you'll still tie me up again sometime, right?"
"Only if you're good."
--------------------
"It's said that a smart person learns form their mistakes," Leandra interjected herself into the conversation with a firm tone, "And that a wise man learns from other people's mistakes. You wanted us to be wise Mom, so you told us about all of your mistakes."
Blake looked to her daughter, a feeling of apprehension growing in her gut. "What mistakes did I talk about?"
"You tried to deal with everything yourself," Leandra answered, "And trying to be responsible for everything lead you to all of your other mistakes: You thought Grandma and Grandpa Belladonna weren't solving the world's problems fast enough, so you decided to do it yourself and joined the White Fang. You saw how troubled Adam Taurus was and you thought you could fix him yourself, so you started a relationship that damaged you and created your worst enemy. After the big terrorist attack at the Vytal Festival you took it upon yourself to deal with your worst enemy on your own, and that's when you got the big dramatic scars you always showed us when you wanted us to understand that aura doesn't make us invincible."
Leandra pulled up a picture on her scroll and showed it to her Mom. The first thing Blake noticed was Jaune standing there on a beach with sculpted abs she could get lost in on full display thanks to the swim trunks he was wearing. Jaune's chest was disappointingly hidden by her legs, as he was carrying her on his shoulders. Blake was able to bring her eyes up from older Jaune's well developed physique and looked at herself posing on his shoulders. She saw the scars Leandra was talking about, as her bikini did nothing to hide them.
Dear God, how did I survive that? Blake thought as she took the image in. One scar started at her left shoulder and went down in a diagonal line beneath her right breast, and it combined with a second scar starting at her right shoulder and ending beneath her left breast to make an angry X across her chest. A third scar started at the top of her navel and ended an inch into the bottom of the sternum. Leandra then flipped over to an image that showed Blake from behind, and it became clear from the scar on her back that the attack that left the scar on her belly had run her all the way through.
"You had caught up to Adam at a train station and you had a big showy sword fight that ended when he gave you those scars." Leandra explained, "Fortunately Dad was only a minute or two behind you, and he arrived in time to save your life. Threw his shield while Adam was gloating and knocked the bastard onto the railroad tracks right before an express train went barreling through the station. Creep came back as a cyborg two years later but he was dealt with enough then for Dad to figure out his semblance and heal you."
"You started letting other people help you deal with things after that," Leander picked up for his sister. "Because you started letting other people help you started accepting criticism and stopped making big mistakes. When you stopped making big mistakes you started getting things done. Dad and your friends helped you get Menagerie recognized as Remnant's Fifth Kingdom. You helped Auntie Weiss reform the Schnee Dust Company. Faunus-Human relations are the best they've ever been because you accepted the fact that you weren't solely responsible for making it happen."
"Also cause you run your ideas past Dad first," Leandra grinned cheekily.
Blake took Leandra's scroll from her and started flipping through the images from the beach trip. The scars were visible in most of them, and while the story behind those scars was weighing heavily on current Blake's mind it was clear that future Blake was not ashamed of them. That lack of shame clearly stemmed from the way future Jaune was doting upon her, and present Blake felt her cheeks grow warm seeing the closeness between herself and future Jaune.
She still needed to talk to Jaune one on one, but she supposed she could trust her friends to give them some privacy if she asked for it. Now she just needed to figure out what to say.
As she continued flipping through the image gallery the pictures of her and Jaune were interspersed with pictures of children who were obviously Leandra and Leander's siblings. Blake felt her heart swell with joy to see her kids so obviously happy and carefree. Living evidence that she and Jaune had built a better world for them to grow up in.
...Though there were more of them than she expected. Eventually she came across a group photo, and her mind slowly ground to a halt. Her jaw dropped and slowly worked up and down like a fish out of water. Eventually a thought came together in a manner coherent enough for her to voice it.
"How Twenty? How?" Coherent but not elegant.
"You had twins every time, except the two times you had triplets."
Blake's eyes rolled to the back of her head, and her children barely caught her before she hit the floor.
Leander had a book on meditation and motorcycle maintenance, while Leandra's book dealt with how the migrations of normal animals affected the migrations of Grimm.
In the companionable silence Blake put her mind to work. She needed to talk with Jaune. Preferably one on one. No, definitely one on one. What would she say? No. Don't overthink that part. Jaune was patient enough for her to figure that part out in the moment so long as nobody interrupted them. So she just needed to figure out a time and place to get Jaune alone. The roof? No, Pyrrha would interrupt them there. The dock by the river? Too public. Here in the library? No, all of her friends knew this spot. Off campus then.
As her mind raced through the places she new in the city of Vale her thoughts started to veer further and further afield. Thoughts about getting Jaune alone had already lead to her getting Jaune out of the school, then they drifted off to getting Jaune out of the city. Then the country. Then the continent. Before she knew it she had her scroll out looking at ticket prices for trains, boats and airships.
Jaune got airsick easily, so that meant airships should be a last resort. There was a cargo ship leaving the port of South Harbor in two days heading for Menagerie and making port close to Kuo Kuana. Once there she could take Jaune to her family home and they could lock themselves in the pantry and then nobody would be able to interrupt them! She just needed to figure out the train schedule between Vale and South Harbor and figure out if she was buying tickets or if they were stowing away and tickets for four would cost her...
Leander looked up from his book and saw the look on his mother's face. "Ah shoot," He muttered before elbowing his sister and saying "Leandra, Mom got bit by The Good Idea Fairy."
Leandra closed her book and sighed, "I'll go get Dad."
"Wait!" Blake looked up and grabbed her children's wrists. I'm not ready to talk with him, is what she thought. "I haven't figured out our itinerary yet!" Is what came out of her mouth.
"Itinerary?" Leandra asked.
"To get us all to Kuo Kuana!" Blake's mouth was really running before she was thinking today.
"We're not kidnaping Dad, Mom." Leander looked at his Mother with a glare.
"You kidnaped Ilia!" Blake objected.
"We Were Panicking!" Leander explained in an adamant tone, "We were panicking and went with the first plan we came up with! That doesn't change the fact that it was a horrible plan that could have blown up on us at any moment! There's a reason Dad does the planning Mom! Cause when we don't think things through there are all kinds of unintended consequences!"
--------------------
In the dorm that had been assigned to him Sun Wukong was doing his best to relax against the headboard of his bed and read the space opera comic book he had bought earlier in the week. A task made significantly more difficult by the tightly bound woman next to him doing everything in her limited power to snuggle up close to him.
"Can I untie you now?" Sun glanced her way.
"No!" Ilia barked.
Sun closed his eyes, and counted down from ten. Once he reached one he stood up and said in his best team leader voice; "Alright, this is what's gonna happen. I'm going to untie you. We're going to head into town and check out that bowling alley that opened up last week. We're going to have a normal conversation while we play a normal game and hang out like normal people. Afterwords we'll visit the mom and pop burger joint I've been eyeing up since I got to Vale, where we will sit down and eat a normal meal and talk to each other like normal people. Got it?"
"Oh-Okay," Ilia squeaked as her skin changed from one interesting shade of pink to another interesting shade of pink. Sun being so gentle had been doing things to her, him switching to an authoritative tone while still showing care was doing different things for her.
Sun reached down and started to undo the knots around her arms. Soon she was free enough to stand, and she followed him to the door.
"Umm... you'll still tie me up again sometime, right?"
"Only if you're good."
--------------------
"It's said that a smart person learns form their mistakes," Leandra interjected herself into the conversation with a firm tone, "And that a wise man learns from other people's mistakes. You wanted us to be wise Mom, so you told us about all of your mistakes."
Blake looked to her daughter, a feeling of apprehension growing in her gut. "What mistakes did I talk about?"
"You tried to deal with everything yourself," Leandra answered, "And trying to be responsible for everything lead you to all of your other mistakes: You thought Grandma and Grandpa Belladonna weren't solving the world's problems fast enough, so you decided to do it yourself and joined the White Fang. You saw how troubled Adam Taurus was and you thought you could fix him yourself, so you started a relationship that damaged you and created your worst enemy. After the big terrorist attack at the Vytal Festival you took it upon yourself to deal with your worst enemy on your own, and that's when you got the big dramatic scars you always showed us when you wanted us to understand that aura doesn't make us invincible."
Leandra pulled up a picture on her scroll and showed it to her Mom. The first thing Blake noticed was Jaune standing there on a beach with sculpted abs she could get lost in on full display thanks to the swim trunks he was wearing. Jaune's chest was disappointingly hidden by her legs, as he was carrying her on his shoulders. Blake was able to bring her eyes up from older Jaune's well developed physique and looked at herself posing on his shoulders. She saw the scars Leandra was talking about, as her bikini did nothing to hide them.
Dear God, how did I survive that? Blake thought as she took the image in. One scar started at her left shoulder and went down in a diagonal line beneath her right breast, and it combined with a second scar starting at her right shoulder and ending beneath her left breast to make an angry X across her chest. A third scar started at the top of her navel and ended an inch into the bottom of the sternum. Leandra then flipped over to an image that showed Blake from behind, and it became clear from the scar on her back that the attack that left the scar on her belly had run her all the way through.
"You had caught up to Adam at a train station and you had a big showy sword fight that ended when he gave you those scars." Leandra explained, "Fortunately Dad was only a minute or two behind you, and he arrived in time to save your life. Threw his shield while Adam was gloating and knocked the bastard onto the railroad tracks right before an express train went barreling through the station. Creep came back as a cyborg two years later but he was dealt with enough then for Dad to figure out his semblance and heal you."
"You started letting other people help you deal with things after that," Leander picked up for his sister. "Because you started letting other people help you started accepting criticism and stopped making big mistakes. When you stopped making big mistakes you started getting things done. Dad and your friends helped you get Menagerie recognized as Remnant's Fifth Kingdom. You helped Auntie Weiss reform the Schnee Dust Company. Faunus-Human relations are the best they've ever been because you accepted the fact that you weren't solely responsible for making it happen."
"Also cause you run your ideas past Dad first," Leandra grinned cheekily.
Blake took Leandra's scroll from her and started flipping through the images from the beach trip. The scars were visible in most of them, and while the story behind those scars was weighing heavily on current Blake's mind it was clear that future Blake was not ashamed of them. That lack of shame clearly stemmed from the way future Jaune was doting upon her, and present Blake felt her cheeks grow warm seeing the closeness between herself and future Jaune.
She still needed to talk to Jaune one on one, but she supposed she could trust her friends to give them some privacy if she asked for it. Now she just needed to figure out what to say.
As she continued flipping through the image gallery the pictures of her and Jaune were interspersed with pictures of children who were obviously Leandra and Leander's siblings. Blake felt her heart swell with joy to see her kids so obviously happy and carefree. Living evidence that she and Jaune had built a better world for them to grow up in.
...Though there were more of them than she expected. Eventually she came across a group photo, and her mind slowly ground to a halt. Her jaw dropped and slowly worked up and down like a fish out of water. Eventually a thought came together in a manner coherent enough for her to voice it.
"How Twenty? How?" Coherent but not elegant.
"You had twins every time, except the two times you had triplets."
Blake's eyes rolled to the back of her head, and her children barely caught her before she hit the floor.
May Introduces Her Son To Her Team
AndrewJTalon
Experienced.
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- - -
May Zedong sat in her team's dormroom, with her son August and her teammates Brawnz, Roy, and Nolan all sitting around on the beds in a rough circle. She let out a soft sigh.
"And so, that's the situation," she explained.
"The guy you're crushing on," Brawnz said, "Becomes your husband in the future. But that's just one future of many, and so all his other kids with other women also came back in time."
May blushed deeply but managed to nod.
"Y-Yes... Basically."
August winced.
"Sorry for beating you all up, Uncles," he said.
Brawnz shook his head.
"Nah, it's cool."
May blinked incredulously.
"You're... Okay with the fact he beat you all up?" She asked.
Roy stared at her strangely, as did Brawnz and Nolan.
"Well, yeah," Roy stated, "He's your kid, and so he's our nephew. Getting beat up by family is fine."
"And he beat us like a man!" Nolan contributed with a broad smile, "Fists and all! That's to be respected!"
"So, tell me the truth," Brawnz grinned at August, "I'm your favorite uncle, right?"
August coughed and shrugged.
"I mean... I love you all equally, Uncles," he said, "But Uncle Ren is also pretty badass."
"That green and pink ninja dude?" Brawnz mused, and shrugged. "Yeah he's pretty cool. I can respect that."
"I'll have to get better presents than him," Roy grumbled.
"Ugh, I can't outhot him!" Nolan complained. "Come on, August! I gotta be your fave!"
"Actually, I think Pyrrha considers you her favorite uncle," August said. He glanced at his mother. "She's my younger sister."
"YES!" Nolan cheered. "Got one over you losers!"
"Clearly August is trying not to hurt our manly feelings of pride," Roy sniffed, "Because I've gotta be his favorite uncle!"
"No, me!" Brawnz argued.
May stared at her teammates, in a familiar mixture of fondness and exasperation.
"You're taking this better than I thought you would," May admitted. Brawnz shrugged.
"Hey, so your son came back in time by accident. Weirder things have happened."
"Like what?" Roy asked in disbelief.
"Nolan actually got laid with a girl once," Brawnz snarked. Nolan growled.
"She was butch and I was drunk! How was I supposed to know?!"
May stared and then giggled. She shook her head in disbelief.
As much of a headache as her team could be... She really wouldn't trade them for the world.
"So!" Brawnz said, slamming a fist into his palm, "When we doing this?"
"Doing what?" August asked in curiosity.
"Dragging that playboy bastard here so May can make you, of course!" Brawnz scoffed.
May's entire body seemed to blush, as she gaped in disbelief. Her son was fairly nonplussed, as though he was expecting something like this.
"W-W-What?!" May squeaked.
"Well," Brawnz reasoned, "The simplest way to ensure your future is to just grab Arc, get you two a hotel room, and let nature take its course."
"I'll get the rope," Nolan volunteered.
"NO! Nonono!" May said, frantically standing up and waving her hands around, "We-We're not doing that!"
"I mean, Mom and Dad don't even get married for a few more years," August said, blushing hard.
"Come on," Brawnz whined, "You've already changed the timeline, and May deserves to get laid! We can go right now!"
"We would have to fight off all the other teams, dude," Roy pointed out.
"So?"
"So they'd probably kick our asses," Roy sighed.
"Not if we're sneaky!" Nolan grinned. "Like, super sneaky!"
Roy hummed, and nodded.
"Yeah, we could do it if we were sneaky," he agreed.
May recalled all the times her team had tried to be 'sneaky'... And all the running firefights they'd gone through when it was clear sneakiness was not their forte. She shook her head rapidly.
"N-No! We're not doing that either!" She stated firmly.
"Okay," Brawnz nodded, "Then we'll just play wingmen to get you laid with your crush!"
"And we can still use rope!" Nolan cheered.
May sighed and buried her face in her hands. Her son patted her comfortingly on the shoulder.
"Please tell me they get better?" May muttered.
"I mean... Probably?" August said with a shrug. "They're a lot more serious in my time, but... Still goofballs. They do get a lot more serious after Pyrrha sacrifices herself."
May looked up in shock and horror.
"Huh?! When-When does that happen?!" She gasped.
August winced.
"I shouldn't have said that-"
"No, no, what happens? What happens?" May insisted, leaning forward to look her son in the eyes. He sighed.
"I... Okay. So there's a big terrorist attack at the Vytal Festival. Huge. The entire capital city is devastated," he said, "You and Dad had been dating for a few months. You all... Almost die to a Nevermore, but Pyrrha saved you."
He sighed.
"She then went to fight the one who orchestrated the whole thing: Cinder Fall."
"That fire-wielding girl?" May gasped. August nodded.
"Yeah. Pyrrha was... Apparently, she was in love with Dad, but couldn't say it. She told him the truth, and then got him out of the fighting zone. Then she fought Cinder to try and stop the attack and..." He shrugged helplessly, "And she was killed. Dad... Dad apparently took it really hard. You teamed up with what was left of his team and Aunt Ruby's team, and went after Cinder. Turns out she was working for a really evil queen. A queen of the Grimm... Trying to wipe out humanity."
He shrugged at their shocked looks.
"You guys won, obviously. The world's a LOT better in the future after you defeat her. You named my first sister after Pyrrha in her honor. So... Yeah," August sighed and looked at his shoes.
"Spoilers," he muttered.
- - -
In his office, Ozpin stared in utter disbelief at the video feed from his drone cameras.
He had hoped that in one of these future timelines, Salem was being held at bay, maybe even diminished... But defeated?
He could scarcely imagine it. He hadn't questioned the kids about it in the large group meeting to maintain secrecy, but...
If there was a means of defeating Salem and ending this war at last...
He needed to find out what it was. And fast.
- - -
May Zedong sat in her team's dormroom, with her son August and her teammates Brawnz, Roy, and Nolan all sitting around on the beds in a rough circle. She let out a soft sigh.
"And so, that's the situation," she explained.
"The guy you're crushing on," Brawnz said, "Becomes your husband in the future. But that's just one future of many, and so all his other kids with other women also came back in time."
May blushed deeply but managed to nod.
"Y-Yes... Basically."
August winced.
"Sorry for beating you all up, Uncles," he said.
Brawnz shook his head.
"Nah, it's cool."
May blinked incredulously.
"You're... Okay with the fact he beat you all up?" She asked.
Roy stared at her strangely, as did Brawnz and Nolan.
"Well, yeah," Roy stated, "He's your kid, and so he's our nephew. Getting beat up by family is fine."
"And he beat us like a man!" Nolan contributed with a broad smile, "Fists and all! That's to be respected!"
"So, tell me the truth," Brawnz grinned at August, "I'm your favorite uncle, right?"
August coughed and shrugged.
"I mean... I love you all equally, Uncles," he said, "But Uncle Ren is also pretty badass."
"That green and pink ninja dude?" Brawnz mused, and shrugged. "Yeah he's pretty cool. I can respect that."
"I'll have to get better presents than him," Roy grumbled.
"Ugh, I can't outhot him!" Nolan complained. "Come on, August! I gotta be your fave!"
"Actually, I think Pyrrha considers you her favorite uncle," August said. He glanced at his mother. "She's my younger sister."
"YES!" Nolan cheered. "Got one over you losers!"
"Clearly August is trying not to hurt our manly feelings of pride," Roy sniffed, "Because I've gotta be his favorite uncle!"
"No, me!" Brawnz argued.
May stared at her teammates, in a familiar mixture of fondness and exasperation.
"You're taking this better than I thought you would," May admitted. Brawnz shrugged.
"Hey, so your son came back in time by accident. Weirder things have happened."
"Like what?" Roy asked in disbelief.
"Nolan actually got laid with a girl once," Brawnz snarked. Nolan growled.
"She was butch and I was drunk! How was I supposed to know?!"
May stared and then giggled. She shook her head in disbelief.
As much of a headache as her team could be... She really wouldn't trade them for the world.
"So!" Brawnz said, slamming a fist into his palm, "When we doing this?"
"Doing what?" August asked in curiosity.
"Dragging that playboy bastard here so May can make you, of course!" Brawnz scoffed.
May's entire body seemed to blush, as she gaped in disbelief. Her son was fairly nonplussed, as though he was expecting something like this.
"W-W-What?!" May squeaked.
"Well," Brawnz reasoned, "The simplest way to ensure your future is to just grab Arc, get you two a hotel room, and let nature take its course."
"I'll get the rope," Nolan volunteered.
"NO! Nonono!" May said, frantically standing up and waving her hands around, "We-We're not doing that!"
"I mean, Mom and Dad don't even get married for a few more years," August said, blushing hard.
"Come on," Brawnz whined, "You've already changed the timeline, and May deserves to get laid! We can go right now!"
"We would have to fight off all the other teams, dude," Roy pointed out.
"So?"
"So they'd probably kick our asses," Roy sighed.
"Not if we're sneaky!" Nolan grinned. "Like, super sneaky!"
Roy hummed, and nodded.
"Yeah, we could do it if we were sneaky," he agreed.
May recalled all the times her team had tried to be 'sneaky'... And all the running firefights they'd gone through when it was clear sneakiness was not their forte. She shook her head rapidly.
"N-No! We're not doing that either!" She stated firmly.
"Okay," Brawnz nodded, "Then we'll just play wingmen to get you laid with your crush!"
"And we can still use rope!" Nolan cheered.
May sighed and buried her face in her hands. Her son patted her comfortingly on the shoulder.
"Please tell me they get better?" May muttered.
"I mean... Probably?" August said with a shrug. "They're a lot more serious in my time, but... Still goofballs. They do get a lot more serious after Pyrrha sacrifices herself."
May looked up in shock and horror.
"Huh?! When-When does that happen?!" She gasped.
August winced.
"I shouldn't have said that-"
"No, no, what happens? What happens?" May insisted, leaning forward to look her son in the eyes. He sighed.
"I... Okay. So there's a big terrorist attack at the Vytal Festival. Huge. The entire capital city is devastated," he said, "You and Dad had been dating for a few months. You all... Almost die to a Nevermore, but Pyrrha saved you."
He sighed.
"She then went to fight the one who orchestrated the whole thing: Cinder Fall."
"That fire-wielding girl?" May gasped. August nodded.
"Yeah. Pyrrha was... Apparently, she was in love with Dad, but couldn't say it. She told him the truth, and then got him out of the fighting zone. Then she fought Cinder to try and stop the attack and..." He shrugged helplessly, "And she was killed. Dad... Dad apparently took it really hard. You teamed up with what was left of his team and Aunt Ruby's team, and went after Cinder. Turns out she was working for a really evil queen. A queen of the Grimm... Trying to wipe out humanity."
He shrugged at their shocked looks.
"You guys won, obviously. The world's a LOT better in the future after you defeat her. You named my first sister after Pyrrha in her honor. So... Yeah," August sighed and looked at his shoes.
"Spoilers," he muttered.
- - -
In his office, Ozpin stared in utter disbelief at the video feed from his drone cameras.
He had hoped that in one of these future timelines, Salem was being held at bay, maybe even diminished... But defeated?
He could scarcely imagine it. He hadn't questioned the kids about it in the large group meeting to maintain secrecy, but...
If there was a means of defeating Salem and ending this war at last...
He needed to find out what it was. And fast.
- - -
Jaune And Yang Have A Heart To Heart.
AndrewJTalon
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- Apr 24, 2015
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Finding Yang wasn't much of a challenge. Ruby knew her exercise routes and favorite spots by heart, and Nora had a nose like a bloodhound. So tracking her down was pretty easy. She was out near the training grounds, at an old ruin of marble benches and pillars interspersed with thick trees. It gave visitors a great view of the Emerald Forest in the valley beyond.
She was training with her daughter (Xia, that was her name), both of them surging their Auras like bonfires around them.
Jaune just stopped and watched them for a moment, a smile on his face. Xia turned and stared at him. She flushed, and motioned with her head. Yang looked... And also flushed.
"Uh... Hey Dad!" Xia said with a wave and smile. "Um... You two need to talk, right?"
"I..." Jaune shrugged. "Yeah. If that's okay?"
"You're my parents, so yeah," Xia scoffed. She beamed at her mother. "Hey... You got this, right?"
"R-Right," Yang managed, her smile a bit brittle. Xia turned and walked off further into the ruins, and began shadow boxing. Jaune walked up to Yang, and stopped about two meters away. She fidgeted a little, not meeting his eyes.
"Hey, Vomit Boy," she said softly.
"H-Hey... Uh... Firecracker," Jaune returned.
Yang started. Jaune frowned.
"Is-Did I say-?"
"N-No, that's... Just what you call Xia, apparently," she chuckled, "Weird coincidence, huh? Xia's got you pegged."
"Y-Yeah, heh," Jaune laughed nervously back at the terrible joke.
Silence fell again. Jaune sucked in a breath.
"I... I honestly wish we'd hung out more... Though I don't know if that would make this more or less awkward."
"Yeah, same," Yang admitted. She laughed quietly. "You know? When she showed up? I thought it was a prank or-or some crap like that."
Jaune nodded back slowly.
"Yeah... It sounded way too crazy. Even for us."
"But..." She shrugged. "I mean... I thought about it. You and me."
Jaune started again, and gaped at her.
"R-Really?"
"Yes, really!" Yang laughed. "I-I mean, come on Vomit Boy! You're... Actually pretty handsome. A hard worker. Kind of a goof, but... In a good way."
She shook her head.
"And you're Ruby's best friend, so... You've got a good heart," she said softly.
"I..." Jaune shook his head. "I honestly didn't think I had a chance with you."
"And yet you kept going after Weiss-cream, huh?" Yang asked, cocking an eyebrow. Jaune shrugged.
"That's... Complicated," he admitted. "Honestly? If I could do it all over again, I... I probably wouldn't have been such a jackass about it to her." He smiled up at her. "Maybe I should have just asked you out. We could have just gone... Had fun... Nothing serious..."
He coughed.
"Until maybe... I-I don't know..."
Yang sighed quietly.
"... You want to know my greatest fear?"
Jaune blinked slowly, but nodded.
"Sure."
"I... It's turning out like my mother," Yang admitted. She hissed through her teeth. "My biological one, Raven. She just... Ran out on me and my dad when I was one. I barely remember her. Just... Up and left."
Jaune frowned deeply.
"Yang, I... Geez, that's horrible. But you-"
"Yeah, I'm different," Yang snorted, "I would never run out on my friends, my family, especially when they needed me! I know... I-I know... But I always have that fear in the back of my mind. That... That I'll end up like her."
She smiled warmly.
"So... So you know what? Knowing that... That I ended up with a good guy? A guy who would never run out on his family or friends? And that I didn't do that either? I..." She brushed her hair back over her ear.
"I guess... I see why I'd end up having ten kids with you, Jaune," Yang said quietly.
Jaune stared intently at her, chewing over her thoughts. She blushed and held up her hands.
"N-Not that-Not that I'm trying to-to make you go after me! I-I mean... I'm glad none of our kids are gonna vanish, Ruby's and mine especially, b-but I-... Ya know..."
She groaned.
"Ugh... Feelings are bullshit," Yang groused.
Jaune smiled softly. He stepped closer.
"You want to know my greatest fear?" He asked.
Yang stared at him.
"What?" She asked.
"... Dying for nothing," Jaune admitted. He sighed. "Most of my life, I was... I was confined to a hospital bed or my room. I was really sickly and weak. My mom's a doctor... So you can imagine how much she freaked out. How much she tried to shelter me."
"Geez, yeah," Yang winced.
"Even when I grew healthy and strong, my family still treated me like I was made of glass, " Jaune stated, "So I... When I got into Beacon... They kind of freaked out, but then... They let me go. With a return home ticket 'when I failed.'"
"Oh, geez," Yang winced. Jaune sighed and shrugged.
"I love my family. I really do... But I didn't want to just play it safe. I wanted to be a hero. Like my great-grandparents, my grandparents... And my parents. I wanted to protect people and-and do good. I wanted my life to mean something. I... I kind of thought that meant dying heroically for a cause."
"G-Geez, Jaune," Yang murmured. She took a step forward and clasped his hand between hers. "Seriously?"
"I'm not suicidal," Jaune sighed, "I just..." He shrugged. "If... If giving my life would protect someone who mattered? Who I cared about? I'd do it in a heartbeat."
He let out a long breath.
"I guess I'm just... I'm finding that I need to change that," he said, "Because you, Ruby, Weiss... Our kids..."
He stared at Xia, still shadowboxing and trying not to look like she was eavesdropping.
"They need me alive more than dead," Jaune said quietly. "But I'm still scared of... Of dying without making a difference."
"Maybe you should be more scared of living without making a difference," Yang said softly. Jaune turned to her... And smiled.
"Yeah," he said softly. "I probably should. Thanks Yang... I-I wish we'd talked more."
"Without some bullshit time crap making us do it?" Yang laughed. "Yeah... That would be nice."
"AHEM!"
They both turned bright red and pulled their hands apart. Ruby was there, scowling intently at them.
"Don't you try anything, Yang!" Ruby declared. "Jaune still has to talk to the rest of his-his possible future wives!"
"Come on, Auntie Ruby, they were having a moment!" Xia protested.
Yang scowled over at the ruins.
"Who else is spying on-?"
Nora and Ren popped up, along with Weiss, her kid, and Ruby's son. Nora waved cheerfully.
"WE ARE!" Nora cried.
Jaune sighed, and shrugged.
"We... Might as well be fair," he said. "I mean... I should be fair. We all have a lot to discuss."
"Even with Cinder?" Yang asked, eyes narrowed. Jaune stared, then slowly nodded.
"Even Cinder," he said.
"Dad," Xia said, looking worried, "Are you sure? I mean... I don't know about the other futures, but in mine-"
"She... She kills a LOT of people, Dad," Nicholas Arc said grimly. "Including Aunt Pyrrha."
"Oh geez," Julian gasped, "Yours too?!"
Jaune clenched his fists. He sucked in a deep breath.
"All the more reason to talk to her," Jaune stated. "Though first..." He looked back at Beacon. "Pyrrha. Nora?"
Nora sniffed the air significantly, before beaming.
"Got her!"
She took off happily. Jaune and Ren raced after her. Ruby, Weiss, and Yang all looked at their children.
"You... Don't find anything odd about that?" Weiss asked.
"It's Auntie Nora!" Xia said cheerfully. "She's always like that!"
"In my future too!" Julian added.
"Ours as well," Nicholas chuckled. "Did she bring those elephants to your fifth birthday party?"
"No, she brought tigers to mine!" Julian grinned.
"Aw, she brought sloths to mine!" Xia pouted. "No fair!"
Ruby, Yang, and Weiss all looked at each other. Their thoughts were aligned:
Note to self: Vet Nora before she comes to any birthday parties for our kids...
"Heh, vet," Yang snickered.
"Come on already!" Ruby huffed.
- - -
She was training with her daughter (Xia, that was her name), both of them surging their Auras like bonfires around them.
Jaune just stopped and watched them for a moment, a smile on his face. Xia turned and stared at him. She flushed, and motioned with her head. Yang looked... And also flushed.
"Uh... Hey Dad!" Xia said with a wave and smile. "Um... You two need to talk, right?"
"I..." Jaune shrugged. "Yeah. If that's okay?"
"You're my parents, so yeah," Xia scoffed. She beamed at her mother. "Hey... You got this, right?"
"R-Right," Yang managed, her smile a bit brittle. Xia turned and walked off further into the ruins, and began shadow boxing. Jaune walked up to Yang, and stopped about two meters away. She fidgeted a little, not meeting his eyes.
"Hey, Vomit Boy," she said softly.
"H-Hey... Uh... Firecracker," Jaune returned.
Yang started. Jaune frowned.
"Is-Did I say-?"
"N-No, that's... Just what you call Xia, apparently," she chuckled, "Weird coincidence, huh? Xia's got you pegged."
"Y-Yeah, heh," Jaune laughed nervously back at the terrible joke.
Silence fell again. Jaune sucked in a breath.
"I... I honestly wish we'd hung out more... Though I don't know if that would make this more or less awkward."
"Yeah, same," Yang admitted. She laughed quietly. "You know? When she showed up? I thought it was a prank or-or some crap like that."
Jaune nodded back slowly.
"Yeah... It sounded way too crazy. Even for us."
"But..." She shrugged. "I mean... I thought about it. You and me."
Jaune started again, and gaped at her.
"R-Really?"
"Yes, really!" Yang laughed. "I-I mean, come on Vomit Boy! You're... Actually pretty handsome. A hard worker. Kind of a goof, but... In a good way."
She shook her head.
"And you're Ruby's best friend, so... You've got a good heart," she said softly.
"I..." Jaune shook his head. "I honestly didn't think I had a chance with you."
"And yet you kept going after Weiss-cream, huh?" Yang asked, cocking an eyebrow. Jaune shrugged.
"That's... Complicated," he admitted. "Honestly? If I could do it all over again, I... I probably wouldn't have been such a jackass about it to her." He smiled up at her. "Maybe I should have just asked you out. We could have just gone... Had fun... Nothing serious..."
He coughed.
"Until maybe... I-I don't know..."
Yang sighed quietly.
"... You want to know my greatest fear?"
Jaune blinked slowly, but nodded.
"Sure."
"I... It's turning out like my mother," Yang admitted. She hissed through her teeth. "My biological one, Raven. She just... Ran out on me and my dad when I was one. I barely remember her. Just... Up and left."
Jaune frowned deeply.
"Yang, I... Geez, that's horrible. But you-"
"Yeah, I'm different," Yang snorted, "I would never run out on my friends, my family, especially when they needed me! I know... I-I know... But I always have that fear in the back of my mind. That... That I'll end up like her."
She smiled warmly.
"So... So you know what? Knowing that... That I ended up with a good guy? A guy who would never run out on his family or friends? And that I didn't do that either? I..." She brushed her hair back over her ear.
"I guess... I see why I'd end up having ten kids with you, Jaune," Yang said quietly.
Jaune stared intently at her, chewing over her thoughts. She blushed and held up her hands.
"N-Not that-Not that I'm trying to-to make you go after me! I-I mean... I'm glad none of our kids are gonna vanish, Ruby's and mine especially, b-but I-... Ya know..."
She groaned.
"Ugh... Feelings are bullshit," Yang groused.
Jaune smiled softly. He stepped closer.
"You want to know my greatest fear?" He asked.
Yang stared at him.
"What?" She asked.
"... Dying for nothing," Jaune admitted. He sighed. "Most of my life, I was... I was confined to a hospital bed or my room. I was really sickly and weak. My mom's a doctor... So you can imagine how much she freaked out. How much she tried to shelter me."
"Geez, yeah," Yang winced.
"Even when I grew healthy and strong, my family still treated me like I was made of glass, " Jaune stated, "So I... When I got into Beacon... They kind of freaked out, but then... They let me go. With a return home ticket 'when I failed.'"
"Oh, geez," Yang winced. Jaune sighed and shrugged.
"I love my family. I really do... But I didn't want to just play it safe. I wanted to be a hero. Like my great-grandparents, my grandparents... And my parents. I wanted to protect people and-and do good. I wanted my life to mean something. I... I kind of thought that meant dying heroically for a cause."
"G-Geez, Jaune," Yang murmured. She took a step forward and clasped his hand between hers. "Seriously?"
"I'm not suicidal," Jaune sighed, "I just..." He shrugged. "If... If giving my life would protect someone who mattered? Who I cared about? I'd do it in a heartbeat."
He let out a long breath.
"I guess I'm just... I'm finding that I need to change that," he said, "Because you, Ruby, Weiss... Our kids..."
He stared at Xia, still shadowboxing and trying not to look like she was eavesdropping.
"They need me alive more than dead," Jaune said quietly. "But I'm still scared of... Of dying without making a difference."
"Maybe you should be more scared of living without making a difference," Yang said softly. Jaune turned to her... And smiled.
"Yeah," he said softly. "I probably should. Thanks Yang... I-I wish we'd talked more."
"Without some bullshit time crap making us do it?" Yang laughed. "Yeah... That would be nice."
"AHEM!"
They both turned bright red and pulled their hands apart. Ruby was there, scowling intently at them.
"Don't you try anything, Yang!" Ruby declared. "Jaune still has to talk to the rest of his-his possible future wives!"
"Come on, Auntie Ruby, they were having a moment!" Xia protested.
Yang scowled over at the ruins.
"Who else is spying on-?"
Nora and Ren popped up, along with Weiss, her kid, and Ruby's son. Nora waved cheerfully.
"WE ARE!" Nora cried.
Jaune sighed, and shrugged.
"We... Might as well be fair," he said. "I mean... I should be fair. We all have a lot to discuss."
"Even with Cinder?" Yang asked, eyes narrowed. Jaune stared, then slowly nodded.
"Even Cinder," he said.
"Dad," Xia said, looking worried, "Are you sure? I mean... I don't know about the other futures, but in mine-"
"She... She kills a LOT of people, Dad," Nicholas Arc said grimly. "Including Aunt Pyrrha."
"Oh geez," Julian gasped, "Yours too?!"
Jaune clenched his fists. He sucked in a deep breath.
"All the more reason to talk to her," Jaune stated. "Though first..." He looked back at Beacon. "Pyrrha. Nora?"
Nora sniffed the air significantly, before beaming.
"Got her!"
She took off happily. Jaune and Ren raced after her. Ruby, Weiss, and Yang all looked at their children.
"You... Don't find anything odd about that?" Weiss asked.
"It's Auntie Nora!" Xia said cheerfully. "She's always like that!"
"In my future too!" Julian added.
"Ours as well," Nicholas chuckled. "Did she bring those elephants to your fifth birthday party?"
"No, she brought tigers to mine!" Julian grinned.
"Aw, she brought sloths to mine!" Xia pouted. "No fair!"
Ruby, Yang, and Weiss all looked at each other. Their thoughts were aligned:
Note to self: Vet Nora before she comes to any birthday parties for our kids...
"Heh, vet," Yang snickered.
"Come on already!" Ruby huffed.
- - -
Jaune And Pyrrha Have A Heart To Heart, Plus Glynda Learns What Could Be
AndrewJTalon
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- - -
Somehow, Jaune knew that Pyrrha would be on the roof of their dorm. It was a place that was very familiar to them both, where they'd... Well... Bonded deeply for the first time. It wasn't something Jaune had thought about before, but it made perfect sense.
He opened the door to the roof, and just paused at the threshold. There she was, sitting on the edge, her back to him. Her long, perfect red hair waved like a flag in the light breeze.
Xander was standing on the roof too, looking very uncomfortable. Jaune took a moment to get a good look at... Well, one of his sons. He was tall, holy shit. His redhair was Pyrrha's shade, but messy like his. His eyes were clear blue and gentle. He definitely had the Arc chin, something his grandfather and uncles possessed, but his cheekbones were more akin to Pyrrha's.
He wore brown and white Spartan-style armor, sleek and advanced over a black bodysuit. He wore a red cape, which waved in the same breeze. He flushed and looked down at the roof.
"Uh... Hey Dad," he said.
"Hey Xander," Jaune said with a tight smile, "Um... Everything okay?"
Xander sighed.
"She uh... She's doing the... The too-polite smile," he said. Jaune winced.
"She still does that?"
"Only when she's really upset," Xander mumbled. He shook his head. "If it was killing a Grimm I... I'd be able to handle it, but..." He sighed. "I'm kind of useless for this-"
Jaune rested a hand on his son's shoulder. He looked up shock.
"It's okay," Jaune said quietly, "You helped your mom. That's the important part, okay? But... We have to work this out ourselves, okay?"
Xander nodded, looking a little relieved.
"Thanks Dad," he said gratefully. "Um, do you need-?"
Jaune shook his head, wincing.
"No... If she decides to kill me, it won't matter."
Xander winced back.
"Wow... You really are my dad," he chuckled nervously, "Um, yeah. Good luck."
Jaune nodded. Xander walked through the access door and shut it very quickly.
Jaune sucked in a breath, and mentally girded his loins. He walked out towards Pyrrha, then sat down about a meter to her right.
He stared out at the valley with her, as the afternoon sun hadn't reached the tops of the mountains yet.
"... So," Jaune tried. He looked at Pyrrha. She was... She was crying? Silently, but yeah-Those were tears.
"Pyrrha!" Jaune gasped. He moved to embrace her, but hesitated.
She sniffled, and turned to look at him. She sighed and bowed her head.
"... I'm sorry, Jaune," she mumbled.
Jaune blinked.
"For... For what?" He asked.
"I... I don't know!" Pyrrha broke, her voice angry for the first time he could ever remember, "J-Just... I started this entire fight! I charged in, just... Just thought I could win you like you were a prize or-or something! I felt... I felt like you were mine and I never even...!"
Screw it. If she killed him, so be it, but he wasn't going to let his partner, his friend, his mentor, his... Mother of a future child cry alone and uncomforted. Jaune reached out and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She leaned in against him, quietly sobbing.
"... How long?" He managed to ask.
Pyrrha didn't meet his eyes.
"... Since the day we met," she whispered.
Jaune's jaw dropped.
"I... Huh?"
"I... Every person in... In my social circle, at my level?" Pyrrha sniffled, "They have an agenda, or want something from me. Th-They just see me as a product, or-or an asset! My mom is more like my manager than family!"
She kept crying.
"And then... Th-Then I met you! You just... You just come right up to me... Treat me like everyone else! N-No agenda, just... I'm a pretty girl, who could be a good Huntress for your team. That's it. You... You want to be a hero, you want to help people..."
She shook her head and trembled.
"I just... I'd never felt like this before and I... I didn't know what to do!" She cried. "All I know how to do is... Is fight and look pretty and..."
"And teach some loser who forged his way into Beacon," Jaune said quietly, "Encourage him. Believe in him. Help him, especially when he's being a stubborn idiot. Always be there for him..."
Jaune sighed, and hugged her more tightly. She scooted up against him, still sniffling and not looking up at him.
"... I'm sorry I didn't notice," he said. "Even if I did... I-I don't think I'd have done anything about it, because you... You're so above me-"
"I'm not," Pyrrha stated firmly. "I was... I was never out of your reach. All you had to do was-was ask, Jaune."
Jaune sighed heavily. He turned her face to his. He stared into those reddened green eyes.
"That and... And I wouldn't want to risk ruining our friendship," he murmured. He shook his head. "You... You honestly came off like one of my sisters... No offense."
Pyrrha stared at him with a blank expression.
"Your sisters?"
"The sexier ones?" Jaune tried, smiling weakly.
Pyrrha's lips twitched... And she laughed. Not one of her picture perfect interview laughs that sounded like bells tinkling, but an honest-to-goodness belly laugh. Jaune laughed with her, a bit more awkwardly, as Pyrrha's tears were now of mirth.
"Haa... Heehee..." She sighed and shook her head. "We're... We're both pretty hopeless, huh?"
"I think we all are," Jaune sighed, "But... It's kind of nice, ya know? I'm not just some idiot loser... We're all kind of idiots."
"Yup!" Pyrrha giggled. They rested comfortably in the silence. She sighed.
"So... What will you do now?" She asked.
"Talk to everyone involved," Jaune said, "And... I don't know... Work together? Cinder's still out there. I..." He shook his head. "I need to talk to her, too."
Pyrrha looked up in worry.
"Jaune," she said quietly, "She... You've heard what she does in the future from the others. It's all the same: She's a horrible monster. In a few timelines-!"
"She kills you," Jaune said grimly, holding her tightly, "I know..."
He heaved a sigh.
"But she hasn't done those things yet," he said, "And there are two kids in the infirmary who prove that... That she can turn... Back to the good side."
Pyrrha stared intently at him. He coughed nervously.
"Look... I have to try," he said firmly. "If there's a way for all of us to-to live? To find some kind of peace? We have to try to find it. I mean..." He closed his eyes.
"Ash and Ashley got scarred by their own mother," Jaune murmured, "How much more will it hurt them if their dad has to kill her?"
Pyrrha was silent for a time. She slowly nodded.
"I... I understand," she murmured, "I don't like it, but I do."
"Neither do I," Jaune said with a shrug, "But... I have to try."
Pyrrha beamed at him. She leaned forward, her lips parted...
"AHEM."
Both turned. Weiss, Ruby, Yang, Nora, Ren, and the other kids were standing on the roof. Xander looked guilty.
"S-Sorry Mom, Dad," he said, "They uh, they all insisted."
"Sheesh dude, you were wiping the floor with half of us," Xia grunted. "Why are you such a pushover?"
"Hey! I got in some good hits!" Julian protested.
"I got in more," Xander muttered.
"Did not," Nick grumbled.
"No more fighting," Jaune, Ruby, Pyrrha and Weiss all ordered, before looking at each other oddly.
"At least not until all the emotional BS is through," Yang said with a grin. Her daughter grinned back.
"Auntie Nora," Julian whined, "Auntie Yang is plotting violence!"
"That's normal for her," Nora chirped, "Carry on!"
- - -
Glynda Goodwitch stared at her future daughter across the deck in her tidy office. Dorothy stared back.
Glynda worked her jaw. Her usually keen mind and quick wit just seemed to desert her at this moment.
"So," Dorothy said, "Do you need your whiskey? Top drawer, right?"
Glynda started.
"Pardon-?"
"Or did you hide it behind the bookshelf?" Dorothy asked. Glynda stared in horror.
"Don't tell me... I'm not an alcoholic in the future, am I?"
"What? No!" Dorothy waved her hands almost frantically. "Nonono! J-Just... You know... This is the kind of situation you said a drink or two was allowable for."
"I..." Glynda sighed. "No, no. I don't..." She shook her head. "I'm just trying to understand how... How this happened."
Dorothy leaned back in her chair a little, and hummed thoughtfully.
"Well... Obviously I don't know all the details," Dorothy admitted, "But when you broke up the party, you assigned Jaune to detention with you that moment. You got to your office and-"
"And, what?" Glynda cried, "Did-Did he seduce me right then and there?!"
"What?! NO! Ew!" Dorothy made a face. "Why are you even asking me that kind of stuff, Mom?!"
"I..." Glynda shook her head slowly. She quickly pushed some hairs back into her bun that had gotten loose. "Continue."
"Right, well," Dorothy resumed, "Apparently Auntie Terra had some software that made all your paperwork woes go away. Like, seriously. They made things that took hours take minutes, at best. You thought Dad was bribing you, but he actually just wanted to help you because he felt bad about how much you had to do. So you... Bonded, is the term you used. You actually made him your part-time assistant."
"I-I see," Glynda said, her mind awash with possibilities. Paperwork had basically dominated her life, and the school had been too cheap to pay for anything to reduce the workload. If Jaune-Arc she reminded herself-had truly done that for her... Well, her estimation of the young man definitely went up.
"You guys just talked, really," Dorothy said, "Got along very well despite the age gap. I think Dad said it was because you'd kind of skipped a lot of your life just for work, so your social skills were about the same."
Glynda winced.
Well... That's not untrue, she thought.
"He then went to volunteer at St. Lucy's Orphanage," Dorothy continued, "Where you volunteered on the weekends. You saw how he worked with the kids and you got even closer."
She sighed heavily.
"Then... Vytal happened. Auntie Pyrrha ended up in a coma. You got seriously wounded. Dad figured out his Semblance and managed to save you both... Though..."
She held up her Scroll. An image of an older Jaune Arc, with a slightly older version of herself, appeared. She stared: The bearded Jaune Arc was missing his right eye, covered by an eyepatch. He still smiled, but she could tell he had seen much.
"His eye," Glynda murmured.
"Cinder Fall took it from him," Dorothy said darkly, "He managed to save you and Auntie Pyrrha from her, but... Yeah."
It was a noble, handsome face. She could admit that Jaune Arc was not unattractive. And with a beard, he-
No, no, none of that. Focus on something else, you desperate old woman.
Dorothy was front and center, beaming, along with... Glynda's jaw dropped.
"Is that... Eight children?" She murmured.
"You were pregnant with number nine, my youngest brother Clarence, at the time," Dorothy said with a soft smile. "Anyway... After Beacon fell, you all fought to retake Vale. You were able to do it, but it was costly. Auntie Pyrrha was shipped to Atlas to be treated. You and Dad worked alone a lot. I..." She shrugged. "I guess you two hit it off because a few years later, I was born during the War for the Dawn."
"The Dawn?" Glynda asked softly. "Then... Did we beat Salem?"
"A lot of details aren't public but... I think so," Dorothy said with a nod. She smiled. "There are still Grimm but... But everything's at peace. I mean, mostly. Magic being real means there are problems with warlords and junk trying to use it, and there are Salem cultists but..." She nodded.
"It's wonderful. I-I wouldn't trade it for anything," she said sincerely, "Or you two."
Glynda slowly nodded. She sighed quietly.
"I... Well..."
There was a knock at the door. Glynda checked the camera feed... And sighed.
"Dad?" Dorothy asked with a poorly disguised smile.
"Yes," Glynda admitted.
"I'll just go in the back," Dorothy said, getting up and walking through the door into Glynda's quarters. She sighed heavily and looked back at the door.
"Come in, Mister Arc."
Jaune entered, looking a bit nervous but he kept his eyes on hers. He shut the door quickly behind him.
"Hey, Professor. Ma'am," he greeted.
"Mister Arc," Glynda repeated. The silence stretched on. Jaune then shook his head.
"I'm not expecting anything," he stated, "And I won't take advantage of it."
"I... I appreciate that," Glynda said with a slow nod.
"But," he shrugged, "We... We will have? Could have? A daughter. And... And I want to work with you to at least be... Be helpful to her."
He sighed.
"I know you're not fond of me, Professor, and I'm sorry. I really don't-"
"I'm harsh with you because you need the most work, Mister Arc," Glynda said quietly, "But don't confuse that for dislike. I am cruel to be kind."
Jaune stared at her, and slowly nodded.
"Because you've seen a lot of your students die," he murmured.
Glynda stared back, worrying her lip. In that moment, he'd looked so much older.
"... Yes," she admitted softly. "I... I do find your perseverance admirable, though sometimes misplaced. Especially with Miss Schnee."
Jaune nodded.
"Yeah, that... That was not a good idea," he admitted. "I just wanted you to know that... That I just want you and Dorothy to be happy. I want everyone involved in this to... To be happy, or at least, at peace. If I can do anything to make that happen? I'll do it."
"A very big responsibility, Mister Arc," Glynda replied wryly.
"Yeah, but it's mine, and I'm taking it on," Jaune stated, quiet but sure.
Her heart beat a little faster at that. She'd met men three times his age who didn't act this mature-
Stop that! Glynda admonished herself. She cleared her throat.
"Well... I heard from... From Dorothy, that your sister-in-law could provide some assistance with my paperwork," she said. "Do you... Do you think you could do that?"
Jaune smiled broadly.
"Sure! I can definitely do that!"
He called Terra on the Scroll, and he asked a few things of her. She must have responded positively, as Jaune then plugged his Scroll into her computer and installed the new software. He instructed her in the operation of the software, then stood back as she put it into practice.
Her eyes bugged out. Everything was sorted, collated, and combined into files ready to send off to whoever needed to read it in seconds.
"There," Jaune said with a grin, "See? I think that will make things a little easier for you. The last thing you need during all this is paperwork stress."
"Little" easier, he said. He'd saved her three days of arduous, headache-inducing work.
"... Mister Arc," she said carefully.
"Yes ma'am?"
"Thank you."
"You're welcome!"
"Now please get out of my office before I do something that would get us both in a lot of trouble," Glynda stated huskily, her cheeks bright red.
Jaune stared into her eyes. He blinked. He blinked again, and blushed.
"Y-Yes ma'am," he managed, turning and heading out. She watched him go... And then sighed and buried her face in her hands.
"So," Dorothy piped up, "I don't need to sleep over somewhere else tonight, right? That would be a first."
Glynda groaned.
- - -
Somehow, Jaune knew that Pyrrha would be on the roof of their dorm. It was a place that was very familiar to them both, where they'd... Well... Bonded deeply for the first time. It wasn't something Jaune had thought about before, but it made perfect sense.
He opened the door to the roof, and just paused at the threshold. There she was, sitting on the edge, her back to him. Her long, perfect red hair waved like a flag in the light breeze.
Xander was standing on the roof too, looking very uncomfortable. Jaune took a moment to get a good look at... Well, one of his sons. He was tall, holy shit. His redhair was Pyrrha's shade, but messy like his. His eyes were clear blue and gentle. He definitely had the Arc chin, something his grandfather and uncles possessed, but his cheekbones were more akin to Pyrrha's.
He wore brown and white Spartan-style armor, sleek and advanced over a black bodysuit. He wore a red cape, which waved in the same breeze. He flushed and looked down at the roof.
"Uh... Hey Dad," he said.
"Hey Xander," Jaune said with a tight smile, "Um... Everything okay?"
Xander sighed.
"She uh... She's doing the... The too-polite smile," he said. Jaune winced.
"She still does that?"
"Only when she's really upset," Xander mumbled. He shook his head. "If it was killing a Grimm I... I'd be able to handle it, but..." He sighed. "I'm kind of useless for this-"
Jaune rested a hand on his son's shoulder. He looked up shock.
"It's okay," Jaune said quietly, "You helped your mom. That's the important part, okay? But... We have to work this out ourselves, okay?"
Xander nodded, looking a little relieved.
"Thanks Dad," he said gratefully. "Um, do you need-?"
Jaune shook his head, wincing.
"No... If she decides to kill me, it won't matter."
Xander winced back.
"Wow... You really are my dad," he chuckled nervously, "Um, yeah. Good luck."
Jaune nodded. Xander walked through the access door and shut it very quickly.
Jaune sucked in a breath, and mentally girded his loins. He walked out towards Pyrrha, then sat down about a meter to her right.
He stared out at the valley with her, as the afternoon sun hadn't reached the tops of the mountains yet.
"... So," Jaune tried. He looked at Pyrrha. She was... She was crying? Silently, but yeah-Those were tears.
"Pyrrha!" Jaune gasped. He moved to embrace her, but hesitated.
She sniffled, and turned to look at him. She sighed and bowed her head.
"... I'm sorry, Jaune," she mumbled.
Jaune blinked.
"For... For what?" He asked.
"I... I don't know!" Pyrrha broke, her voice angry for the first time he could ever remember, "J-Just... I started this entire fight! I charged in, just... Just thought I could win you like you were a prize or-or something! I felt... I felt like you were mine and I never even...!"
Screw it. If she killed him, so be it, but he wasn't going to let his partner, his friend, his mentor, his... Mother of a future child cry alone and uncomforted. Jaune reached out and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She leaned in against him, quietly sobbing.
"... How long?" He managed to ask.
Pyrrha didn't meet his eyes.
"... Since the day we met," she whispered.
Jaune's jaw dropped.
"I... Huh?"
"I... Every person in... In my social circle, at my level?" Pyrrha sniffled, "They have an agenda, or want something from me. Th-They just see me as a product, or-or an asset! My mom is more like my manager than family!"
She kept crying.
"And then... Th-Then I met you! You just... You just come right up to me... Treat me like everyone else! N-No agenda, just... I'm a pretty girl, who could be a good Huntress for your team. That's it. You... You want to be a hero, you want to help people..."
She shook her head and trembled.
"I just... I'd never felt like this before and I... I didn't know what to do!" She cried. "All I know how to do is... Is fight and look pretty and..."
"And teach some loser who forged his way into Beacon," Jaune said quietly, "Encourage him. Believe in him. Help him, especially when he's being a stubborn idiot. Always be there for him..."
Jaune sighed, and hugged her more tightly. She scooted up against him, still sniffling and not looking up at him.
"... I'm sorry I didn't notice," he said. "Even if I did... I-I don't think I'd have done anything about it, because you... You're so above me-"
"I'm not," Pyrrha stated firmly. "I was... I was never out of your reach. All you had to do was-was ask, Jaune."
Jaune sighed heavily. He turned her face to his. He stared into those reddened green eyes.
"That and... And I wouldn't want to risk ruining our friendship," he murmured. He shook his head. "You... You honestly came off like one of my sisters... No offense."
Pyrrha stared at him with a blank expression.
"Your sisters?"
"The sexier ones?" Jaune tried, smiling weakly.
Pyrrha's lips twitched... And she laughed. Not one of her picture perfect interview laughs that sounded like bells tinkling, but an honest-to-goodness belly laugh. Jaune laughed with her, a bit more awkwardly, as Pyrrha's tears were now of mirth.
"Haa... Heehee..." She sighed and shook her head. "We're... We're both pretty hopeless, huh?"
"I think we all are," Jaune sighed, "But... It's kind of nice, ya know? I'm not just some idiot loser... We're all kind of idiots."
"Yup!" Pyrrha giggled. They rested comfortably in the silence. She sighed.
"So... What will you do now?" She asked.
"Talk to everyone involved," Jaune said, "And... I don't know... Work together? Cinder's still out there. I..." He shook his head. "I need to talk to her, too."
Pyrrha looked up in worry.
"Jaune," she said quietly, "She... You've heard what she does in the future from the others. It's all the same: She's a horrible monster. In a few timelines-!"
"She kills you," Jaune said grimly, holding her tightly, "I know..."
He heaved a sigh.
"But she hasn't done those things yet," he said, "And there are two kids in the infirmary who prove that... That she can turn... Back to the good side."
Pyrrha stared intently at him. He coughed nervously.
"Look... I have to try," he said firmly. "If there's a way for all of us to-to live? To find some kind of peace? We have to try to find it. I mean..." He closed his eyes.
"Ash and Ashley got scarred by their own mother," Jaune murmured, "How much more will it hurt them if their dad has to kill her?"
Pyrrha was silent for a time. She slowly nodded.
"I... I understand," she murmured, "I don't like it, but I do."
"Neither do I," Jaune said with a shrug, "But... I have to try."
Pyrrha beamed at him. She leaned forward, her lips parted...
"AHEM."
Both turned. Weiss, Ruby, Yang, Nora, Ren, and the other kids were standing on the roof. Xander looked guilty.
"S-Sorry Mom, Dad," he said, "They uh, they all insisted."
"Sheesh dude, you were wiping the floor with half of us," Xia grunted. "Why are you such a pushover?"
"Hey! I got in some good hits!" Julian protested.
"I got in more," Xander muttered.
"Did not," Nick grumbled.
"No more fighting," Jaune, Ruby, Pyrrha and Weiss all ordered, before looking at each other oddly.
"At least not until all the emotional BS is through," Yang said with a grin. Her daughter grinned back.
"Auntie Nora," Julian whined, "Auntie Yang is plotting violence!"
"That's normal for her," Nora chirped, "Carry on!"
- - -
Glynda Goodwitch stared at her future daughter across the deck in her tidy office. Dorothy stared back.
Glynda worked her jaw. Her usually keen mind and quick wit just seemed to desert her at this moment.
"So," Dorothy said, "Do you need your whiskey? Top drawer, right?"
Glynda started.
"Pardon-?"
"Or did you hide it behind the bookshelf?" Dorothy asked. Glynda stared in horror.
"Don't tell me... I'm not an alcoholic in the future, am I?"
"What? No!" Dorothy waved her hands almost frantically. "Nonono! J-Just... You know... This is the kind of situation you said a drink or two was allowable for."
"I..." Glynda sighed. "No, no. I don't..." She shook her head. "I'm just trying to understand how... How this happened."
Dorothy leaned back in her chair a little, and hummed thoughtfully.
"Well... Obviously I don't know all the details," Dorothy admitted, "But when you broke up the party, you assigned Jaune to detention with you that moment. You got to your office and-"
"And, what?" Glynda cried, "Did-Did he seduce me right then and there?!"
"What?! NO! Ew!" Dorothy made a face. "Why are you even asking me that kind of stuff, Mom?!"
"I..." Glynda shook her head slowly. She quickly pushed some hairs back into her bun that had gotten loose. "Continue."
"Right, well," Dorothy resumed, "Apparently Auntie Terra had some software that made all your paperwork woes go away. Like, seriously. They made things that took hours take minutes, at best. You thought Dad was bribing you, but he actually just wanted to help you because he felt bad about how much you had to do. So you... Bonded, is the term you used. You actually made him your part-time assistant."
"I-I see," Glynda said, her mind awash with possibilities. Paperwork had basically dominated her life, and the school had been too cheap to pay for anything to reduce the workload. If Jaune-Arc she reminded herself-had truly done that for her... Well, her estimation of the young man definitely went up.
"You guys just talked, really," Dorothy said, "Got along very well despite the age gap. I think Dad said it was because you'd kind of skipped a lot of your life just for work, so your social skills were about the same."
Glynda winced.
Well... That's not untrue, she thought.
"He then went to volunteer at St. Lucy's Orphanage," Dorothy continued, "Where you volunteered on the weekends. You saw how he worked with the kids and you got even closer."
She sighed heavily.
"Then... Vytal happened. Auntie Pyrrha ended up in a coma. You got seriously wounded. Dad figured out his Semblance and managed to save you both... Though..."
She held up her Scroll. An image of an older Jaune Arc, with a slightly older version of herself, appeared. She stared: The bearded Jaune Arc was missing his right eye, covered by an eyepatch. He still smiled, but she could tell he had seen much.
"His eye," Glynda murmured.
"Cinder Fall took it from him," Dorothy said darkly, "He managed to save you and Auntie Pyrrha from her, but... Yeah."
It was a noble, handsome face. She could admit that Jaune Arc was not unattractive. And with a beard, he-
No, no, none of that. Focus on something else, you desperate old woman.
Dorothy was front and center, beaming, along with... Glynda's jaw dropped.
"Is that... Eight children?" She murmured.
"You were pregnant with number nine, my youngest brother Clarence, at the time," Dorothy said with a soft smile. "Anyway... After Beacon fell, you all fought to retake Vale. You were able to do it, but it was costly. Auntie Pyrrha was shipped to Atlas to be treated. You and Dad worked alone a lot. I..." She shrugged. "I guess you two hit it off because a few years later, I was born during the War for the Dawn."
"The Dawn?" Glynda asked softly. "Then... Did we beat Salem?"
"A lot of details aren't public but... I think so," Dorothy said with a nod. She smiled. "There are still Grimm but... But everything's at peace. I mean, mostly. Magic being real means there are problems with warlords and junk trying to use it, and there are Salem cultists but..." She nodded.
"It's wonderful. I-I wouldn't trade it for anything," she said sincerely, "Or you two."
Glynda slowly nodded. She sighed quietly.
"I... Well..."
There was a knock at the door. Glynda checked the camera feed... And sighed.
"Dad?" Dorothy asked with a poorly disguised smile.
"Yes," Glynda admitted.
"I'll just go in the back," Dorothy said, getting up and walking through the door into Glynda's quarters. She sighed heavily and looked back at the door.
"Come in, Mister Arc."
Jaune entered, looking a bit nervous but he kept his eyes on hers. He shut the door quickly behind him.
"Hey, Professor. Ma'am," he greeted.
"Mister Arc," Glynda repeated. The silence stretched on. Jaune then shook his head.
"I'm not expecting anything," he stated, "And I won't take advantage of it."
"I... I appreciate that," Glynda said with a slow nod.
"But," he shrugged, "We... We will have? Could have? A daughter. And... And I want to work with you to at least be... Be helpful to her."
He sighed.
"I know you're not fond of me, Professor, and I'm sorry. I really don't-"
"I'm harsh with you because you need the most work, Mister Arc," Glynda said quietly, "But don't confuse that for dislike. I am cruel to be kind."
Jaune stared at her, and slowly nodded.
"Because you've seen a lot of your students die," he murmured.
Glynda stared back, worrying her lip. In that moment, he'd looked so much older.
"... Yes," she admitted softly. "I... I do find your perseverance admirable, though sometimes misplaced. Especially with Miss Schnee."
Jaune nodded.
"Yeah, that... That was not a good idea," he admitted. "I just wanted you to know that... That I just want you and Dorothy to be happy. I want everyone involved in this to... To be happy, or at least, at peace. If I can do anything to make that happen? I'll do it."
"A very big responsibility, Mister Arc," Glynda replied wryly.
"Yeah, but it's mine, and I'm taking it on," Jaune stated, quiet but sure.
Her heart beat a little faster at that. She'd met men three times his age who didn't act this mature-
Stop that! Glynda admonished herself. She cleared her throat.
"Well... I heard from... From Dorothy, that your sister-in-law could provide some assistance with my paperwork," she said. "Do you... Do you think you could do that?"
Jaune smiled broadly.
"Sure! I can definitely do that!"
He called Terra on the Scroll, and he asked a few things of her. She must have responded positively, as Jaune then plugged his Scroll into her computer and installed the new software. He instructed her in the operation of the software, then stood back as she put it into practice.
Her eyes bugged out. Everything was sorted, collated, and combined into files ready to send off to whoever needed to read it in seconds.
"There," Jaune said with a grin, "See? I think that will make things a little easier for you. The last thing you need during all this is paperwork stress."
"Little" easier, he said. He'd saved her three days of arduous, headache-inducing work.
"... Mister Arc," she said carefully.
"Yes ma'am?"
"Thank you."
"You're welcome!"
"Now please get out of my office before I do something that would get us both in a lot of trouble," Glynda stated huskily, her cheeks bright red.
Jaune stared into her eyes. He blinked. He blinked again, and blushed.
"Y-Yes ma'am," he managed, turning and heading out. She watched him go... And then sighed and buried her face in her hands.
"So," Dorothy piped up, "I don't need to sleep over somewhere else tonight, right? That would be a first."
Glynda groaned.
- - -
Arslan Begins Her Apology Tour. -By Sift Green
AndrewJTalon
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They had all presumed that Blake would be in the library, and Glynda's office was just a short detour on the way there from dorms so it had made sense for Jaune to stop by and check on Ms. Goodwitch before they continued their search for the final member of Team RWBY. As Jaune rejoined the group he began to contemplate what he would say to the faunus girl, yet as he turned the corner he realized those thoughts would have to be put on hold.
Approaching the group from the direction of the exchange student dorms with a purposeful stride was Arslan Altan, with Petra following slightly behind at her right and her teammate Reese following slightly behind to her left. Arslan carried a thin box in front of her as if she was presenting it to someone, but that wasn't the detail that stood out to Jaune. Arslan wasn't wearing the red waist sash embroidered with the endless knot she normally wore, having replaced it with a simple black cloth belt.
"Is it permissible for me to have a more private discussion with Jaune Arc?" Arslan asked the group as a whole. Jaune's friends and his children with them all glanced at each other for a few moments before looking to him. Jaune nodded before gesturing to an empty classroom slightly down the hall and making his way towards it.
"Pyrrha," Arslan called out as she followed Jaune, "I would appreciate it if you joined us as witness."
Confusion flashed across the spartan's face, but that didn't stop her from following at a brisk pace.
Jaune had an inkling of what Arslan was up to, so he also called out, "Reese, could you join us as witness?"
Reese was quick to follow.
Once the four of them were in the room and the door was closed Arslan took a deep breath, steeling herself for what she was about to do.
"I have committed a grievous sin against thee Jaune Arc," Arslan began in a highly formal tone, "As a mark of my guilt I leave something precious to me in thine care, only to be returned when I have completed my penance to thee."
Arslan held out the box to Jaune, and he removed its lid to see what was inside it. Red cloth embroidered with the endless knot.
"You're giving me your sash of mastery?" Jaune asked in a bewildered tone.
"I attempted to rob thee of thy progeny this day," Arslan continued in the same formal tone, "Violating my covenants with the Divine. I shall not be worthy of wearing it until my penance is complete."
Jaune carefully placed the lid back on the box before taking it from Arslan in a reverent manner. He closed his eyes for a moment of thought as he tried to remember how thees and thous worked. Then he opened his eyes and answered:
"I accept thy offering, under the condition that thou accept that thou art forgiven by me once I return it to thee." Part of Jaune wanted to return it right then and there, but if Arslan was going to the trouble of a proper penitence ritual he'd respect it and keep ahold of the sash for at least a week so she'd feel like its' return was justified.
"Thy condition is agreeable, Jaune Arc. As thou hast said, so shall it be." Arslan bowed her head with a mixture of relief and surprise on her face.
"So shall it be," Jaune bowed his head in turn.
Pyrrha was looking at her partner in mild bewilderment, but she kept her silence as Arslan looked up to Jaune with inquisitive eyes.
"You're familiar with the ways of the Temple?" Arslan asked in a less formal tone.
"My Dad was an orphan with no surname living on the edge of civilization picking through dumps and scrapyards to make a living," Jaune explained with a shrug. "A wandering Paladin-Monk of the Broken Table took him under his wing and taught him a few things, like how to fight. It's how he got good enough to get into Beacon in spite of his circumstances."
"I see," the inquisitive look on Arslan's face grew. "There are a lot of things I want to ask you right now, but satisfying my curiosity will have to wait. While you're the one I committed the most egregious sin against this morning you're not the one I committed the most intimate offense against, and I must begin my penance with her like I've begun it with you. In light of that are you willing to stand as witness?"
"I am," Jaune answered with a serious nod.
With that Arslan took a deep breath and turned towards Pyrrha while she removed the prayer bead necklace from her neck. She held the necklace out to the spartan and addressed her in the same formal and reverent tone she used earlier, saying:
"I have committed a grievous sin against thee, Pyrrha Nikos, my rival. As a-"
"We aren't rivals!" Pyrrha objected in an apologetically panicked voice. She never had any beef with Arslan! Okay she had beef for a few moments during the fight this morning but other then that she had never harbored ill feelings towards the chocolate skinned warrior. She needed to make that clear. "We were never rivals! I never thought of you in that way!"
Arslan seemed to crumple in on herself as she replied in a small voice, "Looking back, I understand that now. But the rivalry was real to me. Every time I've trained in the last six years I kept this rivalry in the center of my mind, pushing myself forward in anticipation of the day I could beat you. I don't know how to think of you in any other way."
Pyrrha put on her best showroom smile of sympathy. "I don't hold that against you, and with time I'm sure you'll be able to let it go. Moving forward I hope-"
"Umm, Pyrrha," Jaune interjected, "I think there's a bit of a misunderstanding happening here."
"What do you mean?" Pyrrha asked.
"Arslan's a Stone Breaker," Jaune lifted the box holding Arslan's sash for emphasis, "And Stone Breakers believe that one of the best ways they can show gratitude to the Table Breaker is to commit themselves to a life of self improvement, so a rivalry means something different to them than most people."
"It does?" Pyrrha's showroom smile dropped in favor of a look of confusion.
"It does," Jaune confirmed. "Rivals are supposed to keep each other honest about how much they've grown, cause it's easy to lie to yourself when your the only person tracking your progress. With a rivalry you'll be having regular head to head competitions that will let you know if you're actually where you think you are as you measure yourself against a near equal. There's no implication of animosity in their definition of rivalry, and it's generally understood that a rivalry works best when the two people involved don't hate each other. It isn't uncommon for a Stone Breaker to consider their rival one of their best friends."
That information put all of her past interactions with Arslan in a new light, and Pyrrha's mind raced through all of them. There weren't as many as one might expect: her mother had made sure she only interacted with competitors she approved of outside their bouts in tournaments, and her mother didn't approve of the chocolate skinned girl who waxed poetic about her rivalry with Pyrrha at the start of every match. Her mother had explained her disapproval by saying Arslan was an upstart trying to hitch her wagon to Pyrrha's rising star by boasting about a non-existent rivalry.
The two of them had also shared the minimum possible classes at Sanctum Academy, and that was in part thanks to the money her mother had donated to the school so she could be sure her daughter spent the least amount of time with those who could damage Pyrrha's reputation. So it didn't take long for Pyrrha to review everything she remembered Arslan saying to her, and with all of it fresh in her mind Pyrrha had a startling realization.
"The way you talked about rivalry in our first few fights, were you trying to become friends with me?" Pyrrha asked with a small degree of incredulity in her voice.
"I was," Arslan admitted, "I only changed my rhetoric because I thought you weren't interested in a relationship outside of the ring. You didn't know that's what I was doing? Because I thought you did."
"Why would you think I would know that?" Pyrrha asked.
"I first declared our rivalry in front of your mother," Arslan explained, "And I was under the impression that she would explain things after I wasn't able to talk to you afterwords; our mothers' shared a rivalry after all."
"My mother's was an actress, how could they share a rivalry?" Pyrrha raised a confused eyebrow.
At this juncture Reese spoke up for the first time, "Arslan's the daughter of Basara Altan." She paused as if she expected that to explain everything.
"I don't know who that is," Pyrrha admitted.
"Basara's the only woman to win Best Actress four years in a row," Reese elaborated. When that didn't spark recognition in Pyrrha's eyes Reese continued, "She played the Pirate Queen in the Sky Captain movie series." Pyrrha's face grew more confused, Reese's explanation grew more frantic; "Your Mom Co-Starred With Her In The Movie Roaring Lion Swooping Wyvern!"
Pyrrha pulled out her scroll and looked up her mother's filmography, and there was Roaring Lion Swooping Wyvern: the seventh movie her mother had a leading roll in. She opened the link to the page that talked about the movie itself and she saw her mother, Athena Nikos, on the poster with a woman who looked a lot like Arslan.
"That's odd, I don't think Mother's ever shown me this one." Pyrrha noted in a detached manner, her mind beginning to pick up unpleasant implications.
"Our mothers frequently competed for the same rolls during the casting process," Arslan explained, "The movies they stared in frequently went head to head in the box office, and they were usually nominated for the same awards at the big award shows. My mother proposed a rivalry to your mother as a way to mutually hone their acting skills, and your mother agreed. My mother always told me that the rivalry she shared with your mother was one of the best friendships she had during her acting years, and she always regretted how she fell out of contact with your mother after they left the industry."
And this information was casting her mother's actions concerning Arslan in a new light as well, and she wished she could say she was surprised by the way the new light was making things look.
Pyrrha heaved a heavy sigh as the new knowledge changed her thoughts around.
"When you hid yourself from my semblance it was like our first fight all over again," Pyrrha admitted. "Maybe we should take things back to the beginning?"
"I would like that," Arslan's voice trembled with restrained hope. "But before we can do that I must make amends for what I tried to do to you and your son this morning."
"It was on sight for me as well," Pyrrha demurred, "So you don't have to do anything."
"Pyrrha, did you break a vow to your God this morning?" Arslan asked in a very serious tone, "Because I did. No amount of splitting the blame can change that fact. The laws of Justice and Mercy agree that some form of restitution must be attempted, my conscience will accept nothing less."
"Oh, I see," And Pyrrha did see, or at least she could appreciate where Arslan was coming from. She turned her gaze to the necklace that was still in Arslan's hand, "And giving me that will help?"
"These prayer beads have been in my family for twelve generations," Arslan explained, "Their value to me makes them an unquestionable token that I will make things right between us."
"And I give them back to you once you've done that?" Pyrrha glanced at Jaune, and reasoned that if he hadn't given the sash back immediately it would probably be an insult to give the prayer beads back straight away.
"That is correct."
"Then I'll keep them safe."
"Very well, let me start over at the beginning." A small smile graced Arslan's lips as she once again adopted a formal and revenant tone, "I have committed a grievous sin against thee, Pyrrha Nikos, my rival. As a mark of my guilt I leave something precious to me in thine care, only to be returned when I have completed my penance to thee...
Approaching the group from the direction of the exchange student dorms with a purposeful stride was Arslan Altan, with Petra following slightly behind at her right and her teammate Reese following slightly behind to her left. Arslan carried a thin box in front of her as if she was presenting it to someone, but that wasn't the detail that stood out to Jaune. Arslan wasn't wearing the red waist sash embroidered with the endless knot she normally wore, having replaced it with a simple black cloth belt.
"Is it permissible for me to have a more private discussion with Jaune Arc?" Arslan asked the group as a whole. Jaune's friends and his children with them all glanced at each other for a few moments before looking to him. Jaune nodded before gesturing to an empty classroom slightly down the hall and making his way towards it.
"Pyrrha," Arslan called out as she followed Jaune, "I would appreciate it if you joined us as witness."
Confusion flashed across the spartan's face, but that didn't stop her from following at a brisk pace.
Jaune had an inkling of what Arslan was up to, so he also called out, "Reese, could you join us as witness?"
Reese was quick to follow.
Once the four of them were in the room and the door was closed Arslan took a deep breath, steeling herself for what she was about to do.
"I have committed a grievous sin against thee Jaune Arc," Arslan began in a highly formal tone, "As a mark of my guilt I leave something precious to me in thine care, only to be returned when I have completed my penance to thee."
Arslan held out the box to Jaune, and he removed its lid to see what was inside it. Red cloth embroidered with the endless knot.
"You're giving me your sash of mastery?" Jaune asked in a bewildered tone.
"I attempted to rob thee of thy progeny this day," Arslan continued in the same formal tone, "Violating my covenants with the Divine. I shall not be worthy of wearing it until my penance is complete."
Jaune carefully placed the lid back on the box before taking it from Arslan in a reverent manner. He closed his eyes for a moment of thought as he tried to remember how thees and thous worked. Then he opened his eyes and answered:
"I accept thy offering, under the condition that thou accept that thou art forgiven by me once I return it to thee." Part of Jaune wanted to return it right then and there, but if Arslan was going to the trouble of a proper penitence ritual he'd respect it and keep ahold of the sash for at least a week so she'd feel like its' return was justified.
"Thy condition is agreeable, Jaune Arc. As thou hast said, so shall it be." Arslan bowed her head with a mixture of relief and surprise on her face.
"So shall it be," Jaune bowed his head in turn.
Pyrrha was looking at her partner in mild bewilderment, but she kept her silence as Arslan looked up to Jaune with inquisitive eyes.
"You're familiar with the ways of the Temple?" Arslan asked in a less formal tone.
"My Dad was an orphan with no surname living on the edge of civilization picking through dumps and scrapyards to make a living," Jaune explained with a shrug. "A wandering Paladin-Monk of the Broken Table took him under his wing and taught him a few things, like how to fight. It's how he got good enough to get into Beacon in spite of his circumstances."
"I see," the inquisitive look on Arslan's face grew. "There are a lot of things I want to ask you right now, but satisfying my curiosity will have to wait. While you're the one I committed the most egregious sin against this morning you're not the one I committed the most intimate offense against, and I must begin my penance with her like I've begun it with you. In light of that are you willing to stand as witness?"
"I am," Jaune answered with a serious nod.
With that Arslan took a deep breath and turned towards Pyrrha while she removed the prayer bead necklace from her neck. She held the necklace out to the spartan and addressed her in the same formal and reverent tone she used earlier, saying:
"I have committed a grievous sin against thee, Pyrrha Nikos, my rival. As a-"
"We aren't rivals!" Pyrrha objected in an apologetically panicked voice. She never had any beef with Arslan! Okay she had beef for a few moments during the fight this morning but other then that she had never harbored ill feelings towards the chocolate skinned warrior. She needed to make that clear. "We were never rivals! I never thought of you in that way!"
Arslan seemed to crumple in on herself as she replied in a small voice, "Looking back, I understand that now. But the rivalry was real to me. Every time I've trained in the last six years I kept this rivalry in the center of my mind, pushing myself forward in anticipation of the day I could beat you. I don't know how to think of you in any other way."
Pyrrha put on her best showroom smile of sympathy. "I don't hold that against you, and with time I'm sure you'll be able to let it go. Moving forward I hope-"
"Umm, Pyrrha," Jaune interjected, "I think there's a bit of a misunderstanding happening here."
"What do you mean?" Pyrrha asked.
"Arslan's a Stone Breaker," Jaune lifted the box holding Arslan's sash for emphasis, "And Stone Breakers believe that one of the best ways they can show gratitude to the Table Breaker is to commit themselves to a life of self improvement, so a rivalry means something different to them than most people."
"It does?" Pyrrha's showroom smile dropped in favor of a look of confusion.
"It does," Jaune confirmed. "Rivals are supposed to keep each other honest about how much they've grown, cause it's easy to lie to yourself when your the only person tracking your progress. With a rivalry you'll be having regular head to head competitions that will let you know if you're actually where you think you are as you measure yourself against a near equal. There's no implication of animosity in their definition of rivalry, and it's generally understood that a rivalry works best when the two people involved don't hate each other. It isn't uncommon for a Stone Breaker to consider their rival one of their best friends."
That information put all of her past interactions with Arslan in a new light, and Pyrrha's mind raced through all of them. There weren't as many as one might expect: her mother had made sure she only interacted with competitors she approved of outside their bouts in tournaments, and her mother didn't approve of the chocolate skinned girl who waxed poetic about her rivalry with Pyrrha at the start of every match. Her mother had explained her disapproval by saying Arslan was an upstart trying to hitch her wagon to Pyrrha's rising star by boasting about a non-existent rivalry.
The two of them had also shared the minimum possible classes at Sanctum Academy, and that was in part thanks to the money her mother had donated to the school so she could be sure her daughter spent the least amount of time with those who could damage Pyrrha's reputation. So it didn't take long for Pyrrha to review everything she remembered Arslan saying to her, and with all of it fresh in her mind Pyrrha had a startling realization.
"The way you talked about rivalry in our first few fights, were you trying to become friends with me?" Pyrrha asked with a small degree of incredulity in her voice.
"I was," Arslan admitted, "I only changed my rhetoric because I thought you weren't interested in a relationship outside of the ring. You didn't know that's what I was doing? Because I thought you did."
"Why would you think I would know that?" Pyrrha asked.
"I first declared our rivalry in front of your mother," Arslan explained, "And I was under the impression that she would explain things after I wasn't able to talk to you afterwords; our mothers' shared a rivalry after all."
"My mother's was an actress, how could they share a rivalry?" Pyrrha raised a confused eyebrow.
At this juncture Reese spoke up for the first time, "Arslan's the daughter of Basara Altan." She paused as if she expected that to explain everything.
"I don't know who that is," Pyrrha admitted.
"Basara's the only woman to win Best Actress four years in a row," Reese elaborated. When that didn't spark recognition in Pyrrha's eyes Reese continued, "She played the Pirate Queen in the Sky Captain movie series." Pyrrha's face grew more confused, Reese's explanation grew more frantic; "Your Mom Co-Starred With Her In The Movie Roaring Lion Swooping Wyvern!"
Pyrrha pulled out her scroll and looked up her mother's filmography, and there was Roaring Lion Swooping Wyvern: the seventh movie her mother had a leading roll in. She opened the link to the page that talked about the movie itself and she saw her mother, Athena Nikos, on the poster with a woman who looked a lot like Arslan.
"That's odd, I don't think Mother's ever shown me this one." Pyrrha noted in a detached manner, her mind beginning to pick up unpleasant implications.
"Our mothers frequently competed for the same rolls during the casting process," Arslan explained, "The movies they stared in frequently went head to head in the box office, and they were usually nominated for the same awards at the big award shows. My mother proposed a rivalry to your mother as a way to mutually hone their acting skills, and your mother agreed. My mother always told me that the rivalry she shared with your mother was one of the best friendships she had during her acting years, and she always regretted how she fell out of contact with your mother after they left the industry."
And this information was casting her mother's actions concerning Arslan in a new light as well, and she wished she could say she was surprised by the way the new light was making things look.
Pyrrha heaved a heavy sigh as the new knowledge changed her thoughts around.
"When you hid yourself from my semblance it was like our first fight all over again," Pyrrha admitted. "Maybe we should take things back to the beginning?"
"I would like that," Arslan's voice trembled with restrained hope. "But before we can do that I must make amends for what I tried to do to you and your son this morning."
"It was on sight for me as well," Pyrrha demurred, "So you don't have to do anything."
"Pyrrha, did you break a vow to your God this morning?" Arslan asked in a very serious tone, "Because I did. No amount of splitting the blame can change that fact. The laws of Justice and Mercy agree that some form of restitution must be attempted, my conscience will accept nothing less."
"Oh, I see," And Pyrrha did see, or at least she could appreciate where Arslan was coming from. She turned her gaze to the necklace that was still in Arslan's hand, "And giving me that will help?"
"These prayer beads have been in my family for twelve generations," Arslan explained, "Their value to me makes them an unquestionable token that I will make things right between us."
"And I give them back to you once you've done that?" Pyrrha glanced at Jaune, and reasoned that if he hadn't given the sash back immediately it would probably be an insult to give the prayer beads back straight away.
"That is correct."
"Then I'll keep them safe."
"Very well, let me start over at the beginning." A small smile graced Arslan's lips as she once again adopted a formal and revenant tone, "I have committed a grievous sin against thee, Pyrrha Nikos, my rival. As a mark of my guilt I leave something precious to me in thine care, only to be returned when I have completed my penance to thee...
Jaune and Blake have a Heart to Heart. -By Sift Green
AndrewJTalon
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Blake was where they thought she would be, in Team RWBY's favorite study room at the side of the library. She was sitting on a couch between her twins, who were showing her pictures on their scrolls.
As Jaune made his way over his prospective wives and future children began milling about at a respectful distance to give Jaune and Blake a measure of privacy.
"Hey," Jaune called out as he got close.
"Hey," Blake returned the greeting.
"Could you guys give me a moment with your Mom?" Jaune asked the twins from the archway entrance of the study room.
"Sure," Leander replied as he got up.
"Remember, no surprise trips Mom!" Leandra teased as she got up.
"What was that about?" Jaune asked.
Blake sighed, "The two of them have spent the last hour regaling me with my life story as they know it. Apparently most of my problems are the result of me making an impulsive decision and then doubling down on it when I should have gone back on it." Blake's face morphed into a scowl, "And I can't disagree with them."
Jaune stepped all the way into the study room, and hesitated as he considered where to sit down. A look of hesitation crossed Blake's face as well. Before the moment could grow too awkward Blake scooted over so she wasn't in the middle of the couch and patted the now open space beside her in invitation. Jaune then sat on the couch leaving an appropriate amount of space between the two of them.
A moment of silence hung over them, only to be broken as they both spoke up at the same time:
"Soooo" "How"
They both stopped. "You go first." Again at the same time. "No you!" Once again. They both sighed then chuckled. Jaune made a hand gesture for Blake to talk, and so she did:
"Do you believe in coincidences? Or do you think fate is driving force in the world?"
Jaune brought his hand to his chin in thought, "Well, the world's a big and complicated place. I'm not sure the two ideas are mutually exclusive. Why?"
"This was the book I was reading when my twins found me," Blake pulled the book from her purse. Temporal Troubles: A Sci-Fi Anthology, read the cover. Jaune remembered reading the book with Ruby a few weeks ago, and he was pretty sure Blake had Ruby's copy.
"Oh, Oh wow," Jaune stammered, "I can see why that looks more like fate than coincidence."
"I know, Right?" Blake sighed, "But with all of your other children being just as real as mine? You can't say fate's at the wheel ether, no matter how badly I wanted that to be the case."
"You wanted your love life to be out of your hands like that?" Jaune raised an eyebrow.
"Jaune, my last relationship was a disaster so big it created my arch-nemesis," Blake drooped. "After that the idea of starting a new relationship was terrifying, no matter how much I wanted it. Then Leandra and Leander come out of the blue and I suddenly had a guaranteed happy ending, a relationship I couldn't mess up because I knew how it turned out. But we don't know how it ends now, I have to figure out how I can get to that happy ending and all I can do is mess this up."
"What makes you think you're going to mess this up?" Jaune asked in a gentle tone.
"Well, for one thing I don't know you nearly as well as I should," Blake admitted with regret in her voice. "You're Ruby's best male friend and our teams do things together all the time. In spite of that the only thing I really know about you is that you're one of nine kids and somehow the only son. I don't know what foods you like, I don't know what kind of music you listen to or what kind of movies you like or your views on monarchy verses democracy! If I knew any of those I'd have a place to start, but I don't, so I don't."
"Blake," Jaune placed a comforting hand on hers, "That problem goes both ways. I don't know that much about you either. That's okay, none of the kids are born for a few more years, we have time to learn." Jaune looked down, "I mean, if you want to."
"I do," Blake affirmed, "Though with time travel involved I'm not sure 'time to learn' is a solid bet."
"Hey, we don't know how a time travel semblance really works yet," Jaune pointed out. "For all we know it could be a multiverse thing like in the Cyborg Saga of the Drake-Sphere series. We'd have all the time in the world if it's like that."
"Drake-Sphere's author made things multiversal because of his editors sticking their fingers in cause they didn't think the main villain was scary enough," Blake quibbled. "He was originally going to use the time travel rules from The Exterminator series, and that had only one future changing because of decisions being made in the present."
"Well, at least we know we aren't using Get Back to the Present rules," Jaune tried to keep things positive, "Because our current limbo seems safe so far."
"There is that," Blake admitted with a small smile.
A comfortable silence fell between them, and while nether of them knew what to say next everything seemed alright. The silence didn't last all that long though, as Blake found more to say.
"It's Just," Blake sighed wistfully, "The future the twins showed me is beautiful, and I want to make it real."
"Can you tell me about it?" Jaune leaned in closer with curiosity.
"You helped turn the deserts of Menagerie into verdant farmlands," Blake explained in an awed tone. "We took ice dust into the mountains, made self sustaining glaciers on top of them, and dug irrigation canals for the resulting rivers. My people finally have room to grow thanks to increased food and wealth. Thanks to your advice Menagerie gained the diplomatic clout it needed to be recognized as a proper Kingdom, and faunus are considered equals with humans almost everywhere you go."
"What can you tell me about us?" Jaune pressed.
Blake's face lit up in a massive blush as she stammered, "We, we built this beautiful house by a newly formed lake. We raise a large family in that home, and it becomes the beating heart of a new town. We teach at a new combat school that's quickly growing into a new Huntsman Academy. The two of us go dancing the first Friday of every month, and we take the boat out on the lake every weekend."
"That sounds nice," Jaune whispered as he looked Blake in the eyes.
"It does," Blake whispered back as she lost herself in his blue orbs.
Blake had read hundreds of books featuring romance, and in most of them this would be a moment where the male and female leads would kiss. For a moment she imagined Jaune as the Wolf Knight Navarre as he gazed into the eyes of the Hawke Princess Isabeau in the Cathedral of Aquila, and she imagined the perfect kiss.
Blake's biggest problems had always come from being impulsive. She shot forward, pressing her lips against Jaune's in a hungry manner. Jaune's eyes shot open in surprise before he melted into her feminine touch and tried to meet her enthusiasm out of instinct. She reached her hands up to cup the back of his head and-
"BLAKE!" A half dozen female voices called out, and the two of them separated as Blake realized her impulsiveness might just bite her in the behind once again. She didn't think she'd regret doubling down on this one though.
"Hush!" The Librarian hissed at the group as she passed by with a cart of returned books.
As Jaune made his way over his prospective wives and future children began milling about at a respectful distance to give Jaune and Blake a measure of privacy.
"Hey," Jaune called out as he got close.
"Hey," Blake returned the greeting.
"Could you guys give me a moment with your Mom?" Jaune asked the twins from the archway entrance of the study room.
"Sure," Leander replied as he got up.
"Remember, no surprise trips Mom!" Leandra teased as she got up.
"What was that about?" Jaune asked.
Blake sighed, "The two of them have spent the last hour regaling me with my life story as they know it. Apparently most of my problems are the result of me making an impulsive decision and then doubling down on it when I should have gone back on it." Blake's face morphed into a scowl, "And I can't disagree with them."
Jaune stepped all the way into the study room, and hesitated as he considered where to sit down. A look of hesitation crossed Blake's face as well. Before the moment could grow too awkward Blake scooted over so she wasn't in the middle of the couch and patted the now open space beside her in invitation. Jaune then sat on the couch leaving an appropriate amount of space between the two of them.
A moment of silence hung over them, only to be broken as they both spoke up at the same time:
"Soooo" "How"
They both stopped. "You go first." Again at the same time. "No you!" Once again. They both sighed then chuckled. Jaune made a hand gesture for Blake to talk, and so she did:
"Do you believe in coincidences? Or do you think fate is driving force in the world?"
Jaune brought his hand to his chin in thought, "Well, the world's a big and complicated place. I'm not sure the two ideas are mutually exclusive. Why?"
"This was the book I was reading when my twins found me," Blake pulled the book from her purse. Temporal Troubles: A Sci-Fi Anthology, read the cover. Jaune remembered reading the book with Ruby a few weeks ago, and he was pretty sure Blake had Ruby's copy.
"Oh, Oh wow," Jaune stammered, "I can see why that looks more like fate than coincidence."
"I know, Right?" Blake sighed, "But with all of your other children being just as real as mine? You can't say fate's at the wheel ether, no matter how badly I wanted that to be the case."
"You wanted your love life to be out of your hands like that?" Jaune raised an eyebrow.
"Jaune, my last relationship was a disaster so big it created my arch-nemesis," Blake drooped. "After that the idea of starting a new relationship was terrifying, no matter how much I wanted it. Then Leandra and Leander come out of the blue and I suddenly had a guaranteed happy ending, a relationship I couldn't mess up because I knew how it turned out. But we don't know how it ends now, I have to figure out how I can get to that happy ending and all I can do is mess this up."
"What makes you think you're going to mess this up?" Jaune asked in a gentle tone.
"Well, for one thing I don't know you nearly as well as I should," Blake admitted with regret in her voice. "You're Ruby's best male friend and our teams do things together all the time. In spite of that the only thing I really know about you is that you're one of nine kids and somehow the only son. I don't know what foods you like, I don't know what kind of music you listen to or what kind of movies you like or your views on monarchy verses democracy! If I knew any of those I'd have a place to start, but I don't, so I don't."
"Blake," Jaune placed a comforting hand on hers, "That problem goes both ways. I don't know that much about you either. That's okay, none of the kids are born for a few more years, we have time to learn." Jaune looked down, "I mean, if you want to."
"I do," Blake affirmed, "Though with time travel involved I'm not sure 'time to learn' is a solid bet."
"Hey, we don't know how a time travel semblance really works yet," Jaune pointed out. "For all we know it could be a multiverse thing like in the Cyborg Saga of the Drake-Sphere series. We'd have all the time in the world if it's like that."
"Drake-Sphere's author made things multiversal because of his editors sticking their fingers in cause they didn't think the main villain was scary enough," Blake quibbled. "He was originally going to use the time travel rules from The Exterminator series, and that had only one future changing because of decisions being made in the present."
"Well, at least we know we aren't using Get Back to the Present rules," Jaune tried to keep things positive, "Because our current limbo seems safe so far."
"There is that," Blake admitted with a small smile.
A comfortable silence fell between them, and while nether of them knew what to say next everything seemed alright. The silence didn't last all that long though, as Blake found more to say.
"It's Just," Blake sighed wistfully, "The future the twins showed me is beautiful, and I want to make it real."
"Can you tell me about it?" Jaune leaned in closer with curiosity.
"You helped turn the deserts of Menagerie into verdant farmlands," Blake explained in an awed tone. "We took ice dust into the mountains, made self sustaining glaciers on top of them, and dug irrigation canals for the resulting rivers. My people finally have room to grow thanks to increased food and wealth. Thanks to your advice Menagerie gained the diplomatic clout it needed to be recognized as a proper Kingdom, and faunus are considered equals with humans almost everywhere you go."
"What can you tell me about us?" Jaune pressed.
Blake's face lit up in a massive blush as she stammered, "We, we built this beautiful house by a newly formed lake. We raise a large family in that home, and it becomes the beating heart of a new town. We teach at a new combat school that's quickly growing into a new Huntsman Academy. The two of us go dancing the first Friday of every month, and we take the boat out on the lake every weekend."
"That sounds nice," Jaune whispered as he looked Blake in the eyes.
"It does," Blake whispered back as she lost herself in his blue orbs.
Blake had read hundreds of books featuring romance, and in most of them this would be a moment where the male and female leads would kiss. For a moment she imagined Jaune as the Wolf Knight Navarre as he gazed into the eyes of the Hawke Princess Isabeau in the Cathedral of Aquila, and she imagined the perfect kiss.
Blake's biggest problems had always come from being impulsive. She shot forward, pressing her lips against Jaune's in a hungry manner. Jaune's eyes shot open in surprise before he melted into her feminine touch and tried to meet her enthusiasm out of instinct. She reached her hands up to cup the back of his head and-
"BLAKE!" A half dozen female voices called out, and the two of them separated as Blake realized her impulsiveness might just bite her in the behind once again. She didn't think she'd regret doubling down on this one though.
"Hush!" The Librarian hissed at the group as she passed by with a cart of returned books.
Last edited:
Jaune and May have a Heart to Heart.
AndrewJTalon
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- - -
There was a knock at the door of Team BRNZ's dormroom. May started. Brawnz narrowed his eyes.
"Who is it?"
May was the team's lookout and booby trap. Her Aura Sensing Semblance was so powerful it was basically the only real advantage they had against others.
So even though she knew exactly who was behind that door, and their intentions... It didn't put her at ease.
"It's Dad," August answered for her. Brawnz slowly nodded, and stood up. He cracked his knuckles, as Nolan cracked his neck and Roy stretched his arms over his head.
"We got this, May," Brawnz said.
"Uhhh," May said, "Please don't do what you're planning on doing?"
"We're not gonna rough him up," Brawnz said, "Not unless we have to."
"He wipes the floor with all of you. Easily," August said dryly.
"Well, maybe in your future," Roy said, "But-"
"No, he could do it now," August stated.
Brawnz looked from his future nephew to May. She coughed.
"He's right," she said.
Brawnz huffed.
"Fine..." He went to the door, and opened it. There was Jaune, looking and feeling as nervous as she felt.
Jaune opened his mouth, but Brawnz beat him to the first words.
"Listen, Blondie. You so much as think of breaking May's heart, and I don't care how strong you are: We'll hunt you down and beat the living shit out of you!"
"Yeah!" Nolan growled.
"That goes double for me, the favorite future Uncle!" Roy contributed, waving two fingers in Jaune's face.
May winced, as August cringed. Jaune slowly nodded, his face serious.
"If I do that, I'll let you beat the shit out of me," he stated.
Brawnz scowled a bit longer, before nodding. He looked back at May.
"If he tries anything-"
"I'll be fine, thank you, really," May said with a smile. Brawnz nodded slowly, as did Roy and Nolan. They parted, allowing Jaune to enter. They still glared at him as they left, Roy in particular making the "I'm watching you" sign with his fingers. They shut the door, leaving Jaune, May, and August alone.
Jaune looked to August first. May couldn't blame him, that was slightly less awkward.
"Hey," Jaune said, "I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to... To talk to you until now, August."
August smiled.
"It's uh... It's okay," he said, "There is a lot going on, and with my Semblance? I don't like to socialize a lot."
"Oh? What's your Semblance?" Jaune asked, curious.
"Aura Sight," August explained, "I can see Aura and tell you all sorts of things about the people who have it. Mom can do the same, just a lot better."
"Wow," Jaune said with a smile her way, "That's really cool."
"I know right?" August grinned. He coughed. "Uh... Trouble is, I gotta tune my Aura to not interfere, since I've got so much. And when I do that, I can see so much it can get really overwhelming. Uncle Ren taught me a lot about how to control it. He's honestly really amazing!"
Jaune's smile grew.
"He is," Jaune agreed. "Um... I will talk to you later, August, but right now, I gotta talk with your mom. Is that okay?"
"Oh, uh, yeah," August said with a quick nod. "No problem, Dad."
"Just... Keep your uncles from trying to kill me, okay?" Jaune asked.
"Heh, no problem," August said cheerfully.
Jaune clasped August on the shoulder. Of all his future kids, August was easily the tallest. He stood out the most, yet he wanted solitude. It was strange, but May could tell her son was also very kind. It made her feel a bit less frightened.
A little bit.
August left, shutting the door behind him. Jaune turned to May, and smiled awkwardly. She smiled back in the same way.
Silence reigned.
"So," Jaune started, "Um... I..." He sighed. "You'd think I'd have... Gotten used to this..."
"It-It hasn't really stopped being awkward, I-I think," May admitted.
Jaune sighed.
"Let's... Start simple then. Um, I'm Jaune Arc. I'm from Radian, North Vale. I have seven sisters, and my parents own a farm. My dad's head of the militia, my mom's a doctor. How about you?"
May coughed.
"Um... So... I-I'm May Zedong. I was from from Pandu Kingdom in Mistral. I was raised in Chang'e Village in Vacuo. My... My parents are dead. They were exiles from the kingdom when Arjun took it over, and died of illness when I was ten."
Jaune's face fell.
"Oh... Gods May-I-I'm so sorry..."
"It-It's okay," May stuttered. "I mean, it's not, but..." She sighed, and shrugged. "I... I unlocked my Semblance from an early age. My village used me to look out for enemies and Grimm. I got to go to Shade Academy... Where I met my team."
She shrugged.
"They're... I mean, they're very rough around the edges. Brawnz is the leader on paper, but... I make most of the decisions. And manage them." She sighed in mild exasperation. "They can be... A handful."
"Heh," Jaune chuckled, "My teammate Nora can be that, too."
"Th-The girl with the hammer?" May flushed. "Oh my... Um... Yeah."
"Yeah," Jaune said with a nod, "Though I don't think I have it as bad as Ruby."
"Did they really fight a giant robot?" May asked.
"Ohhh most definitely," Jaune said with a nod.
"That sounds... Exciting," May offered.
Jaune chuckled wryly.
"You have no idea..." He smiled warmly at her. "So um... I mean... I think the main issue might be that... Well..."
"We don't know each other at all," May nodded, "I know. If... If it helps, you opening the door for me for Combat Class was... Was very nice."
Jaune nodded.
"My dad insisted I treat ladies properly."
May blushed an even brighter red.
"I... I'm a lady?"
Jaune nodded.
"Yeah... Definitely."
"O-Oh... Thank you," May mumbled. She looked up at him shyly.
"I-I just... Um... I guess this situation is just... Kind of..."
"Crazy?" Jaune asked. He nodded. "Yeah. No disagreement... But we're all in this together. I guess I'm just... I'm a little shocked you started fighting too. We barely know eachother."
"Well..." May shrugged. "One... I didn't want to fight. I really didn't... But I also realized that if my... If my family, my child, was at risk? I'd do anything to protect them. My parents risked everything to escape the Mistralian mobsters backed by the government to get me to Vacuo. I... I could do no less."
She smiled up at him, cheeks very red.
"And... And two? I can tell when people are lying... Though not what they're lying about. August was honest... So was everyone else. S-So are you... Very honest. I..."
She sighed.
"If I'm being honest? I became a Huntress in training because... Because I didn't have a lot of choice. Not in Vacuo. If you're strong, you advance, you survive. If you're weak, you fail. But... But I guess..."
Jaune sat down next to her, and leaned in. Just a little. He was considerate of her feelings, which she appreciated.
"What?" He asked.
Trembling, she reached into her hoodie, and pulled out a locket. She opened it up, and showed Jaune the picture within. It was of May, her mother and her father in formal dress-South Mistralian, he believed. Her mother looked very beautiful in her fine red and gold dress with a matching headscarf. Her father was handsome in his dark red busy mustache and white suit with golden sash. Little May herself was in a blue and white dress with a small tiara. All three were smiling happily for the camera.
"I... I wanted to be... A bride," May admitted with a deep blush, "To-To be a good wife, and good mother... To have a family again."
Jaune was silent. He slowly put a hand over hers and helped her hold the locket.
"I... I want to make sure you get that chance," he said quietly. "But I..."
May smiled warmly.
"You can't bare the thought of losing any of your family?"
Jaune shook his head.
"I... I saw that about you from the day we met, Jaune," May admitted, "And... And I liked it very much."
They stared into each other's eyes for a time... Before Brawnz pounded on the door and kicked the door open. He was being held back by Yang, Ruby, August, and Pyrrha.
"DAMNIT ARC! KNOCK HER UP ALREADY!" He bellowed.
Ruby shouted as well.
"DON'T YOU DARE, JAUNE!"
"I WASN'T!" Jaune shouted, bright red. He turned back to May, who seemed to be blushing brighter than her hair. "I-I really-I mean-!"
May's eyes rolled back into her head and she fainted. Jaune managed to catch her bridal style just before she hit the floor.
Jaune looked back at the large crowd outside of the door, and gulped.
"IT ISN'T WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE! I SWEAR!"
As much as May didn't want to admit it, as she lost consciousness... A small, petty part of her enjoyed how all the other women felt jealous of her.
- - -
May's backstory and Semblance is my own invention because Rooster Teeth didn't bother to give her one. So there. Nyeh.
There was a knock at the door of Team BRNZ's dormroom. May started. Brawnz narrowed his eyes.
"Who is it?"
May was the team's lookout and booby trap. Her Aura Sensing Semblance was so powerful it was basically the only real advantage they had against others.
So even though she knew exactly who was behind that door, and their intentions... It didn't put her at ease.
"It's Dad," August answered for her. Brawnz slowly nodded, and stood up. He cracked his knuckles, as Nolan cracked his neck and Roy stretched his arms over his head.
"We got this, May," Brawnz said.
"Uhhh," May said, "Please don't do what you're planning on doing?"
"We're not gonna rough him up," Brawnz said, "Not unless we have to."
"He wipes the floor with all of you. Easily," August said dryly.
"Well, maybe in your future," Roy said, "But-"
"No, he could do it now," August stated.
Brawnz looked from his future nephew to May. She coughed.
"He's right," she said.
Brawnz huffed.
"Fine..." He went to the door, and opened it. There was Jaune, looking and feeling as nervous as she felt.
Jaune opened his mouth, but Brawnz beat him to the first words.
"Listen, Blondie. You so much as think of breaking May's heart, and I don't care how strong you are: We'll hunt you down and beat the living shit out of you!"
"Yeah!" Nolan growled.
"That goes double for me, the favorite future Uncle!" Roy contributed, waving two fingers in Jaune's face.
May winced, as August cringed. Jaune slowly nodded, his face serious.
"If I do that, I'll let you beat the shit out of me," he stated.
Brawnz scowled a bit longer, before nodding. He looked back at May.
"If he tries anything-"
"I'll be fine, thank you, really," May said with a smile. Brawnz nodded slowly, as did Roy and Nolan. They parted, allowing Jaune to enter. They still glared at him as they left, Roy in particular making the "I'm watching you" sign with his fingers. They shut the door, leaving Jaune, May, and August alone.
Jaune looked to August first. May couldn't blame him, that was slightly less awkward.
"Hey," Jaune said, "I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to... To talk to you until now, August."
August smiled.
"It's uh... It's okay," he said, "There is a lot going on, and with my Semblance? I don't like to socialize a lot."
"Oh? What's your Semblance?" Jaune asked, curious.
"Aura Sight," August explained, "I can see Aura and tell you all sorts of things about the people who have it. Mom can do the same, just a lot better."
"Wow," Jaune said with a smile her way, "That's really cool."
"I know right?" August grinned. He coughed. "Uh... Trouble is, I gotta tune my Aura to not interfere, since I've got so much. And when I do that, I can see so much it can get really overwhelming. Uncle Ren taught me a lot about how to control it. He's honestly really amazing!"
Jaune's smile grew.
"He is," Jaune agreed. "Um... I will talk to you later, August, but right now, I gotta talk with your mom. Is that okay?"
"Oh, uh, yeah," August said with a quick nod. "No problem, Dad."
"Just... Keep your uncles from trying to kill me, okay?" Jaune asked.
"Heh, no problem," August said cheerfully.
Jaune clasped August on the shoulder. Of all his future kids, August was easily the tallest. He stood out the most, yet he wanted solitude. It was strange, but May could tell her son was also very kind. It made her feel a bit less frightened.
A little bit.
August left, shutting the door behind him. Jaune turned to May, and smiled awkwardly. She smiled back in the same way.
Silence reigned.
"So," Jaune started, "Um... I..." He sighed. "You'd think I'd have... Gotten used to this..."
"It-It hasn't really stopped being awkward, I-I think," May admitted.
Jaune sighed.
"Let's... Start simple then. Um, I'm Jaune Arc. I'm from Radian, North Vale. I have seven sisters, and my parents own a farm. My dad's head of the militia, my mom's a doctor. How about you?"
May coughed.
"Um... So... I-I'm May Zedong. I was from from Pandu Kingdom in Mistral. I was raised in Chang'e Village in Vacuo. My... My parents are dead. They were exiles from the kingdom when Arjun took it over, and died of illness when I was ten."
Jaune's face fell.
"Oh... Gods May-I-I'm so sorry..."
"It-It's okay," May stuttered. "I mean, it's not, but..." She sighed, and shrugged. "I... I unlocked my Semblance from an early age. My village used me to look out for enemies and Grimm. I got to go to Shade Academy... Where I met my team."
She shrugged.
"They're... I mean, they're very rough around the edges. Brawnz is the leader on paper, but... I make most of the decisions. And manage them." She sighed in mild exasperation. "They can be... A handful."
"Heh," Jaune chuckled, "My teammate Nora can be that, too."
"Th-The girl with the hammer?" May flushed. "Oh my... Um... Yeah."
"Yeah," Jaune said with a nod, "Though I don't think I have it as bad as Ruby."
"Did they really fight a giant robot?" May asked.
"Ohhh most definitely," Jaune said with a nod.
"That sounds... Exciting," May offered.
Jaune chuckled wryly.
"You have no idea..." He smiled warmly at her. "So um... I mean... I think the main issue might be that... Well..."
"We don't know each other at all," May nodded, "I know. If... If it helps, you opening the door for me for Combat Class was... Was very nice."
Jaune nodded.
"My dad insisted I treat ladies properly."
May blushed an even brighter red.
"I... I'm a lady?"
Jaune nodded.
"Yeah... Definitely."
"O-Oh... Thank you," May mumbled. She looked up at him shyly.
"I-I just... Um... I guess this situation is just... Kind of..."
"Crazy?" Jaune asked. He nodded. "Yeah. No disagreement... But we're all in this together. I guess I'm just... I'm a little shocked you started fighting too. We barely know eachother."
"Well..." May shrugged. "One... I didn't want to fight. I really didn't... But I also realized that if my... If my family, my child, was at risk? I'd do anything to protect them. My parents risked everything to escape the Mistralian mobsters backed by the government to get me to Vacuo. I... I could do no less."
She smiled up at him, cheeks very red.
"And... And two? I can tell when people are lying... Though not what they're lying about. August was honest... So was everyone else. S-So are you... Very honest. I..."
She sighed.
"If I'm being honest? I became a Huntress in training because... Because I didn't have a lot of choice. Not in Vacuo. If you're strong, you advance, you survive. If you're weak, you fail. But... But I guess..."
Jaune sat down next to her, and leaned in. Just a little. He was considerate of her feelings, which she appreciated.
"What?" He asked.
Trembling, she reached into her hoodie, and pulled out a locket. She opened it up, and showed Jaune the picture within. It was of May, her mother and her father in formal dress-South Mistralian, he believed. Her mother looked very beautiful in her fine red and gold dress with a matching headscarf. Her father was handsome in his dark red busy mustache and white suit with golden sash. Little May herself was in a blue and white dress with a small tiara. All three were smiling happily for the camera.
"I... I wanted to be... A bride," May admitted with a deep blush, "To-To be a good wife, and good mother... To have a family again."
Jaune was silent. He slowly put a hand over hers and helped her hold the locket.
"I... I want to make sure you get that chance," he said quietly. "But I..."
May smiled warmly.
"You can't bare the thought of losing any of your family?"
Jaune shook his head.
"I... I saw that about you from the day we met, Jaune," May admitted, "And... And I liked it very much."
They stared into each other's eyes for a time... Before Brawnz pounded on the door and kicked the door open. He was being held back by Yang, Ruby, August, and Pyrrha.
"DAMNIT ARC! KNOCK HER UP ALREADY!" He bellowed.
Ruby shouted as well.
"DON'T YOU DARE, JAUNE!"
"I WASN'T!" Jaune shouted, bright red. He turned back to May, who seemed to be blushing brighter than her hair. "I-I really-I mean-!"
May's eyes rolled back into her head and she fainted. Jaune managed to catch her bridal style just before she hit the floor.
Jaune looked back at the large crowd outside of the door, and gulped.
"IT ISN'T WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE! I SWEAR!"
As much as May didn't want to admit it, as she lost consciousness... A small, petty part of her enjoyed how all the other women felt jealous of her.
- - -
May's backstory and Semblance is my own invention because Rooster Teeth didn't bother to give her one. So there. Nyeh.
Last edited:
Adam Taurus Learns Of Jaune Arc
AndrewJTalon
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The secret White Fang base deep in the Forever Fall Forest was bare bones and simple. An old base from when Vale had a military. The barracks and headquarters were still serviceable, and they were deep enough in the wild that they attracted little attention.
Adam Taurus was meditating in the old headquarters atrium. Here, plants were growing free and unrestrained, and light shone through the still intact windows overhead. It was almost peaceful... Yet he needed this solitude to focus his rage, not to gain peace.
Blake...
To think she had betrayed them, betrayed him. Ran off in the face of the grim necessity of their work.
His Aura flared like a bonfire before he brought it back down. His rage was only useful if it was focused, concentrated, and honed: Like a fine blade.
He envisioned that blade... How he would use it on Blake. Pinned down, tied up, helpless before him... She had enjoyed such things in the past. It was how he would break her.
How he would save her.
Yes... He would even take inspiration from her erotic novels. She'd love that-
His Scroll rang. He growled in irritation. He pulled it out and opened it up.
"This had better be-"
He stopped. Cinder Fall's face was on the screen.
"You're not supposed to call me directly-"
"We have enough encryption anyone watching won't know anything. Long enough for this," Cinder stated. The woman seemed far more agitated than usual, and was just barely keeping it under control. Adam would admit that he despised this human who presumed to order him around, but he didn't underestimate her.
"What is it?" He demanded.
Cinder then told him... The impossible. Time traveling children from the future? It didn't make any sense...
But the urgency in Fall's tone and face made clear this was no deception.
After all the Semblances he had seen... Well... Time travel was hardly impossible, now was it?
"They are all children of Jaune Arc..." An image of a fairly unremarkable looking blond human boy with blue eyes, smiling awkwardly for the camera, appeared, "And at least eleven other women."
Cinder's eyes narrowed a bit.
"Blake Belladonna included."
Adam's grip on his Scroll tightened.
"What," he hissed, his rage threatening to erupt.
"Mercury got several pictures before he had to escape," Cinder stated. These pictures appeared on the screen. Each one of a trio or pair of teenagers.
All from a distance, but enhanced enough that features could be made out.
The one that caught his interest the most was that of Blake. She was standing in one of Beacon's many gardens, smiling softly at two blond cat Faunus. Both were around Blake's age. The shapes of their faces betrayed their relationship to Blake: Both every inch Menagerian aristocrat. Yet there was a bit of the human in their noses, eyes, chins, and of course, hair.
Her children with... Her children with...!
"He is dead," Adam stated, hard as steel.
"No," Cinder stated, "He is too valuable as a hostage. We will find a way to get our hands on him. But we cannot rush into this. It will take careful planning. I will get him into our clutches. You? Concentrate on our main plan."
Adam glared hatefully at the image of Jaune Arc... Yet slowly nodded.
"All right."
Cinder stared at him.
"That's it?" She asked.
"I will have him," he stated firmly, "He tasks me. He tasks me, and I shall have him. Spin your webs and plan your machinations. We will have him... And then he will be mine. You will deliver him to me."
Cinder's scowl became far more dangerous.
"You don't get to decide-"
"It's that, or the White Fang no longer works with you," Adam stated. "This is non-negotiable. He will be mine."
Cinder held back a riot of complex emotions, just barely detectable behind her face. Including... Regret?
"... Very well," Cinder murmured.
The communication ended. Adam stared at the images of the children, Blake... And Arc.
Time travel is real, he thought, Blake mated with... With this... Human... In the future... Had children...
He felt... A rush. As though he was standing at the threshold of the gods. Indeed, it was. To have such power... It was terrifying. Unbelievable.
Yet multiple children from multiple timelines meant... That the future was not set in stone.
Adam Taurus sucked in a deep breath. He focused his rage.
Blake... You fell for this... Interloper in the future. I won't let that happen. And in the end...
He envisioned his blade going through Jaune Arc... Those blond children becoming redheads...
He smiled darkly.
You will be mine.
- - -
Adam Taurus was meditating in the old headquarters atrium. Here, plants were growing free and unrestrained, and light shone through the still intact windows overhead. It was almost peaceful... Yet he needed this solitude to focus his rage, not to gain peace.
Blake...
To think she had betrayed them, betrayed him. Ran off in the face of the grim necessity of their work.
His Aura flared like a bonfire before he brought it back down. His rage was only useful if it was focused, concentrated, and honed: Like a fine blade.
He envisioned that blade... How he would use it on Blake. Pinned down, tied up, helpless before him... She had enjoyed such things in the past. It was how he would break her.
How he would save her.
Yes... He would even take inspiration from her erotic novels. She'd love that-
His Scroll rang. He growled in irritation. He pulled it out and opened it up.
"This had better be-"
He stopped. Cinder Fall's face was on the screen.
"You're not supposed to call me directly-"
"We have enough encryption anyone watching won't know anything. Long enough for this," Cinder stated. The woman seemed far more agitated than usual, and was just barely keeping it under control. Adam would admit that he despised this human who presumed to order him around, but he didn't underestimate her.
"What is it?" He demanded.
Cinder then told him... The impossible. Time traveling children from the future? It didn't make any sense...
But the urgency in Fall's tone and face made clear this was no deception.
After all the Semblances he had seen... Well... Time travel was hardly impossible, now was it?
"They are all children of Jaune Arc..." An image of a fairly unremarkable looking blond human boy with blue eyes, smiling awkwardly for the camera, appeared, "And at least eleven other women."
Cinder's eyes narrowed a bit.
"Blake Belladonna included."
Adam's grip on his Scroll tightened.
"What," he hissed, his rage threatening to erupt.
"Mercury got several pictures before he had to escape," Cinder stated. These pictures appeared on the screen. Each one of a trio or pair of teenagers.
All from a distance, but enhanced enough that features could be made out.
The one that caught his interest the most was that of Blake. She was standing in one of Beacon's many gardens, smiling softly at two blond cat Faunus. Both were around Blake's age. The shapes of their faces betrayed their relationship to Blake: Both every inch Menagerian aristocrat. Yet there was a bit of the human in their noses, eyes, chins, and of course, hair.
Her children with... Her children with...!
"He is dead," Adam stated, hard as steel.
"No," Cinder stated, "He is too valuable as a hostage. We will find a way to get our hands on him. But we cannot rush into this. It will take careful planning. I will get him into our clutches. You? Concentrate on our main plan."
Adam glared hatefully at the image of Jaune Arc... Yet slowly nodded.
"All right."
Cinder stared at him.
"That's it?" She asked.
"I will have him," he stated firmly, "He tasks me. He tasks me, and I shall have him. Spin your webs and plan your machinations. We will have him... And then he will be mine. You will deliver him to me."
Cinder's scowl became far more dangerous.
"You don't get to decide-"
"It's that, or the White Fang no longer works with you," Adam stated. "This is non-negotiable. He will be mine."
Cinder held back a riot of complex emotions, just barely detectable behind her face. Including... Regret?
"... Very well," Cinder murmured.
The communication ended. Adam stared at the images of the children, Blake... And Arc.
Time travel is real, he thought, Blake mated with... With this... Human... In the future... Had children...
He felt... A rush. As though he was standing at the threshold of the gods. Indeed, it was. To have such power... It was terrifying. Unbelievable.
Yet multiple children from multiple timelines meant... That the future was not set in stone.
Adam Taurus sucked in a deep breath. He focused his rage.
Blake... You fell for this... Interloper in the future. I won't let that happen. And in the end...
He envisioned his blade going through Jaune Arc... Those blond children becoming redheads...
He smiled darkly.
You will be mine.
- - -